Star Wars 3: Buffy and the Revenge of the Sith (Complete)
by APhantasm
Summary: Summary: This is the 3rd story in my Star Wars: Buffy and Dawn Series, and sequel to my Buffy and the Attack of the Clones. A/U story set in Star Wars Universe. Takes place after BTVS Season 5 - Season Finale (The Gift), and during Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. The only pairing in this story is Jacen Solo (Han's father) and Dawn (Summers) Skywalker.
1. Chapter 1: Corellia

**Summary**: This is the 3rd story in my Star Wars: Buffy and Dawn Series, and sequel to my Buffy and the Attack of the Clones. You might want to read my first two stories in this series before you start on this one as some things might make more sense.

A/U story set in Star Wars Universe. Takes place after BTVS Season 5 - Season Finale (The Gift), and during Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.

The only pairing in this story is Jacen Solo (Han's father) and Dawn Summers. Though by the time of the first chapter is done that pairing is over.

**Disclaimer: **I will say this only once as I don't want to repeat myself every time I post a chapter. I do not own either Star Wars or Buffy. Joss Whedon owns Buffy. Star Wars is owned by George Lucas (or is it Disney now)

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**Chapter 1: Corellia**

Buffy and Dawn stood in the Jedi Council chambers patiently waiting for what Buffy believed they had called her in for.

_*Flashback to a few days earlier*_

_Yoda and Buffy sat in her and Dawn's apartment in the Jedi Temple. "So Master Yoda what brings you to my humble abode?" Buffy asked._

_Yoda smiled, "You do my former Padawan. An offer I have to make. Believe you ready for promotion to Master I do. A Seat I believe on the Council you should have."_

_Buffy's jaw dropped, "No. I'm not a leader. I suck at being a leader."_

_Yoda nods, "Understand your reservations I do. Your experience I believe is needed if we are to win this war."_

_Buffy sighed and nodded, "You mean my experience from my years as the Slayer." It was a statement more than a question._

_"Yes that, and your experience on Naboo," Yoda replied._

_Buffy stood and walked to the only decoration she had in the room, A framed picture of her, Padme, and Dawn taken shortly before she had learned of her and Dawn being accepted to be trained as Jedi. She ran her fingers across the painting before turning back to Yoda. "I accept, Master Yoda."_

_*End Flashback*_

Windu looked at the two young women. "Jedi Naberrie and Skywalker, we have an assignment for you. According to intelligence reports the Separatists are planning a move against Corellia. We need to ascertain their plans.

_A few days later_

Buffy and Dawn came out of hyperspace a fair distance from Corellia. Several Trade Federation starships could be seen in orbit.

Buffy frowned, "Looks like we're a little too late."

Dawn nodded in agreement, "Should we go back and inform the Council?"

"No we have a mission to complete and we need to be on that planet to complete it." Buffy replied.

As they flew towards Corellia they were spotted by Federation forces that came after them.

As they hit the atmosphere Buffy noticed Dawn's fighter was hit. "Dawn are you alright?"

"I've lost everything except for thrusters. I think I can land her but she's done for." Dawn said.

Buffy sighed, "Ok as soon as we're down we will set the blow up the ships and make our way into the nearest city. And see if we can find any resistance."

"If you blow yours up though you won't be able to get back to the Council." Dawn replied.

"I know, but I am not leaving without you. Ok?"

"Yeah, and sis thanks."

_2 hours later_

Buffy looked at the city in front of them, "According to archives before we left this should be Coronet City. If we're lucky we should….."

At that moment they hear a twig snap to their left. Dawn and Buffy draw their lightsabers igniting them. "Whose there? Come out where we can see you and we won't hurt you." Dawn said.

A man stepped out of the bushes, "Greetings."

They look at the man warily and then put away their lightsabers, "I am Jedi Buffy Naberrie, and this is Jedi Dawn Skywalker." Buffy said.

The man held out his hand as Buffy shook it, "I am Jacen Solo. I assume the ships I saw crash were yours?"

Dawn nodded as she looked at the man. She thought for a moment that he was quite handsome, "You would be correct."

"Since we're now more or less trapped here till the Council sends an extraction team, we're looking for any resistance movement that might have started up." Buffy paused. "We need to get intel back to the Jedi Council and let them know what's going on."

Jacen sighed and shook his head, "We're cut off from the Holonet. There is no incoming or outgoing communications, they have all transmissions jammed."

Time passed and Jacen introduced them to the resistance leaders. They helped as much as they could. Buffy continuously made reports and filed them away for the time when they would be extracted. Days eventually turned into months with no sign of the extraction coming.

All the while Dawn was falling in love with Jacen Solo and his 5 year old son, Han. It was almost 1 year to the day of Buffy and Dawn's arrival on Corellia that Dawn came to a decision.

Dawn sat next to her sister, "Buffy, you know I love Jacen. Right?"

Buffy nodded knowing she was about to say, "Yes I know. You're thinking of resigning from the Order aren't you?"

Dawn simply nodded, "Yes."

Buffy smiled and hugged her sister, "You do what you think is right for you. I won't put it in my report to the Council till someone comes to extract us."

Dawn nodded and got up and left to talk to Jacen. That night Buffy could hear Dawn moaning through the walls of Jacen's apartment.

_One day a month later_

Buffy was standing outside the apartment and noticed two fighters come down not far from where they were at. "Dawn come here."

Dawn ran out of the apartment and looked at Buffy, "What?"

Buffy nodded in the direction of the fighters, "Looks like extraction may have come but they didn't fare much better than we did. Tell Jacen we're going to check it out."

Dawn nodded and ran into the apartment, a moment later she came back out. Buffy and Dawn made their way towards the smoking fighters as they saw two familiar figures. Buffy motioned for Dawn to hide as she did also. She wanted to surprise Obi-Wan and Anakin.

As Obi-Wan and Anakin walked by, Dawn and Buffy jumped out at them causing the two men to draw their lightsabers before noticing who they were confronting.

"Dawn!" Anakin cried before hugging his sister.

Dawn smiled hugging Anakin back, "Hey, Ani."

Buffy bowed to Obi-Wan, "Hello Obi-Wan. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to be extracted."

Obi-Wan frowned at the use of 'I'. "What do you me I? What about Dawn?"

Dawn smiled, "I won't be going. As soon as Buffy writes it in her report I won't be part of the Order, having resigned. I fell in love to a wonderful man. Come I will introduce you."

They turned and made their way back to the apartment complex. Dawn stopped short as she saw smoke rising from where Jacen's apartment is and several droid troops in the courtyard out front. As they watched they saw a man pulled to his feet in front of several droids who then shot the man killing him.

Dawn screamed, "No! Oh Jacen!" Dawn looked to see if Han was there but didn't see him. She wondered if he had still been in the apartment when it caught fire.

Buffy and Anakin stepped beside Dawn to comfort her. Buffy turned to Obi-Wan, "I have a way for us to get off the planet. Jacen had been working on two experimental fighters. If we can get to them we can make it off the planet with no problem."

Obi-Wan frowned at Buffy, "If you had access to ships how come you haven't left already?"

Buffy sighed and tried to smile, "Because there not quite finished yet, they lack weapons. So we will have to hope we can jump to hyperspace before the Federation ships spot us, otherwise we're sitting ducks."

Obi-Wan nodded and the group made their way to the hanger where Jacen kept the fighters. Inside there were only two droids standing guard, of which Dawn made short work of.

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan and made a sweeping gesture, "What you're seeing is Prometheus. Dawn came up with the name." They looked at the ships that were across between jedi starfighters and a two man fighter **(A/N think Snow Speeders from ESB)**. They boarded the ships and flew out of the hanger. Luck was on their side as they reached orbit and managed to get to hyperspace without being seen.

In route to Coruscant Anakin, who was in the second starfighter with Dawn, turned in his seat and looked at her sensing something. He touched the comm panel and muted the comlink, "Dawn are you pregnant?"

Dawn blinked, "Why would you say that?"

Anakin sighed, "I can sense something else in here. And it's coming from you, but it's not you."

Dawn looked down at her stomach, "I don't know, Anakin. I haven't had time to check recently. It would explain why I've been sick as of late."

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**Author's Note:** I want to thank Naitch03 for the idea of using Corellia. It was from his/her story I got the idea of sending Buffy and Dawn to Corellia. **  
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	2. Chapter 2: Grieving, Prophecies & Meetin

**Chapter 2: Grieving, Prophecies and Meetings**

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Buffy and Dawn were once again back in front of the Jedi Council.

Yoda looked between the two women, "Report you wish to make?"

Buffy nodded and stepped forward, "Upon arrival at Corellia the Trade Federation had already blockaded the planet. We decided to go ahead and land to gather intel to relay back to the Council. Dawn's fighter was damaged in our descent and we had to destroy them. We spent the following year as part of the underground resistance gathering intel to relay back to the Republic and the Council. I have a datachip with the information we obtained."

Windu looks between the two women, "There is more to this story you're not telling us."

Dawn stepped forward, "Yes, Masters. I expect I will be expelled from the Order for this. I fell in love while on Corellia, and proceeded to have a romantic relationship with him. I am carrying his child; I've had tests to confirm the pregnancy. I did intend to submit my resignation as soon as the extraction team found us."

Buffy sighed, "Masters I ask that she not be expelled from the …."

Windu held up his hand and shook his head, "We had no intention of expelling her from the Order, mainly because of the Force Bond you share. If not for that bond we would expel you Dawn. Though Dawn we must adhere to the code if we are to overcome the current threat. I believe the council is in agreement that you will likely be passed over for Master for the foreseeable future, at least till we can see proof that you can live by the code. Buffy you on the other hand are promoted to Master and given a seat on the Council, per Master Yoda's discussions with you before the mission. One last thing Jedi Skywalker we will decide on your child's fate at a later date after he or she is born. But for now your missions will be limited to protect you and your child."

Dawn nodded, "Thank you Masters." Dawn turned and left the Council chambers, Buffy following close behind.

They made their way back to the apartment they shared. The moment the entered the apartment Dawn made her way to her bed and sat down, and for the first time since leaving Corellia Dawn cried.

Buffy hugged her sister; she had been able to feel through their bond how much Dawn loved Jacen. She was sure that losing Jacen was the hardest thing Dawn had experienced, worse than losing their mom back on Earth.

A knock came at the door and Buffy got up and opened it, "Master Windu, what can I do for you?"

Mace Windu nodded towards Dawn, "I could feel her grief in the Council chambers. I brought something to help her relax. Then tomorrow I would like to see her in my apartment, alone." Mace then handed the relaxant to Buffy before turning to leave. "Oh and Buffy you don't have to call me Master anymore. We're both Masters now."

Buffy nodded as she closed the door and walked back over to Dawn giving her the relaxant, a moment later Dawn was a sleep.

Buffy sat up for a few hours watching Dawn sleep, before she turned in herself and she bag to dream.

**_*Dream*_**

_Buffy looked around and noticed that most of what she saw was black nothingness. Except for a small patch of green where Dawn lay next to Jacen. Buffy knew she was in Dawn's dream, and that the dream was a memory. "Dawn?"_

_Dawn sat up and looked at Buffy, "What are you doing here? I'm asleep aren't I?"_

_Buffy nodded._

_Revan appeared before them, "I can answer the what. I pulled Buffy into your dream Dawn there is something I wish to show the both of you. First I want to say how sorry I am about Jacen, I know you loved him."_

_Dawn smiled sadly, "Thank You."_

_A moment later they watched as the scene changed and Jacen disappeared._

_Buffy noticed now that there was two Revans. "Uhm?"_

_Revan smiled, "We are in one of my memories. While I was on Earth I learned of a prophecy. It concerns the two of you."_

_A woman was sitting next to the other Revan. The woman who was apparently in a trance started to speak. "Two shall come and trained by the Jedi. They will come and be oldest of the Padawans of the age in which they live. They shall be descendants of a Jedi. One shall be born, and the other created through magic to be her sister. They shall remake the Order during the dark times when the Sith rule the galaxy. One shall have a daughter and that daughter will lead the Jedi in to the future."_

_Buffy looked to Revan and then Dawn, "Dawn's child?"_

_Revan nodded, "Yes that last line talks of Dawn's child. She will help the children of the Chosen One in bringing the Jedi Order into the future."_

_Buffy frowned, "Children of the Chosen One? Anakin has no children, shoot he's not even married, and the Order forbids it."_

_Dawn looked at Revan and then at Buffy. "Uhm Buffy, Ani and Padme were married in secret. Remember when Ani and I escorted Padme to Naboo shortly after the war started. They were married on Naboo. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but it's a secret they wish to keep at least for now. Please don't tell anyone what I said."_

_Buffy sighed and nodded, "Ok but I am going to have a word with Padme. I'm her adopted sister and she didn't even think to tell me she got married, even if it was in secret."_

_Revan smiled as the two suddenly woke up._

**_*End Dream*_**

The next day Buffy was standing outside Padme's apartment pacing waiting for Padme to open the door. When Padme did open the door she noticed the look on her sister's face. "Uhm you know don't you?" Padme asked.

Buffy nodded and Padme motioned for her to enter. As she did so she kept eyeing Padme something was off about the woman she could tell, but she readily dismissed it. "Padme why didn't you tell me you and Anakin had got married?"

Padme sighed, "I wanted to, but Anakin wasn't sure how you would take it. He was worried you would tell the Jedi Council."

Buffy sighed, "You know I wouldn't have, me and Dawn are the most unorthodox Jedi there are. I would have been happy for you."

Padme smiled and hugged her sister, "You can't tell. Anakin plans to resign from the Order once the war is over."

Buffy nodded, "I won't tell. Shoot I wasn't going to tell them Dawn was thinking of resigning before Jacen was killed."

**In Mace Windu's apartment**

"How are you feeling?" Mace asked.

Dawn sighed as she sat next to Mace. "Like I have a big hole in my heart."

Mace nodded, he had some experience with people grieving. On one of his missions as a Padawan he had helped a woman to grieve for her mother who had died. "Tell me about Jacen."

Dawn looked at Mace and blinked, "Am I hearing right? You who believe in the no attachment rule want to hear of my attachment to Jacen."

Mace smiled, "It will help you to grieve and put it behind you if you talk about it. I know this from second hand experience. When I was a Padawan I helped a woman on one of my missions to grieve for the loss of her mother."

Dawn nodded and sighed, "Jacen was my world, I loved him more than anything. He had a 5 year old son from his marriage to Jaina. Jaina by the way had died in childbirth, and Jacen had been left to raise their son alone."

Dawn went on to tell Mace about her relationship with Jacen and how she had planned to tender her resignation to the Order the first chance she got. She then told how she first found out she was pregnant. "I had been having morning sickness for a few days when Obi-Wan and Anakin came to retrieve me and Buffy. At that time I thought it was just a case of the flu or some other disease and would go away in a couple days. After we watched Trade Federation droids murder Jacen we went after the fighters we came in. In route Anakin had sensed something coming from me. He could tell what he was sensing was not me though. He put two and two together and knew what he was sensing was my unborn child. He asked me if I was pregnant, and I was like why he would ask that. Then he told me he sensed something from me that was not me. And then I put two and two together, and knew he was right."

Mace nodded, "I am sure it came quite as a shock. Why don't you go and get some rest, Dawn."

Dawn nodded and walked out and headed back to her and Buffy's apartment.

A few moments later Mace walked into the Council chambers and found Buffy standing before the Council.

Windu sat in his chair and wondered what was going on.

Buffy had waited till all the masters were assembled, "Me and Dawn had another visit from Revan last night. He showed us a prophecy he had witnessed. It went something like this. 'Two shall come and trained by the Jedi. They will come and be oldest of the Padawans of the age in which they live. They shall be descendants of a Jedi. One shall be born, and the other created through magic to be her sister. They shall remake the Order. One shall have a daughter and that daughter will lead the Jedi in to the future.' As you can tell the prophecy speaks of me and Dawn, the last line speaks of her unborn child."

Buffy looked around hoping that the assembled masters would not see she had left out a line from the prophecy. One she hoped could be prevented.

"Hmm! Interesting this is, a prophecy we do not know about. When did Revan witness this prophecy?" Yoda said.

Buffy sighed a little in relief, "Sometime during his stay on Earth."

Windu nodded, "Looks like we have something new to think about. Though it puzzles me what it means about you and Dawn remaking the order."


	3. Chapter 3: Space Battle

**Chapter 3: Space Battle**

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It had been a few days since Buffy told the Council about the prophecy. Buffy sat with her fellow Masters in the Council chambers only half listening to the business being discussed. She kept thinking back to the line of the prophecy she had not told the Council about the dark times and the Sith ruling the galaxy. She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard someone say her name.

"Master Naberrie, Master Kenobi and Jedi Anakin Skywalker will go to retrieve the Chancellor from General Grievous ship." Mace Windu said.

Buffy stood and walked next to Obi-Wan, "Before we leave, Masters. I have a request. I would like to move Dawn out of mine and her apartment and in to Padme's in the Senate Complex. The apartments here at the temple are not conducive to the rest a pregnant woman needs."

Yoda looked around at the fellow Masters who nodded, "A wise suggestion you make. Agree with you we do. Allow her to stay with Senator Amidala for the rest of her pregnancy we will."

Buffy bows, "Thank you, Masters." Buffy turned and followed Obi-Wan and Anakin out of the Council chambers.

An hour later they were flying above Coruscant towards Grievous' ship.

Buffy listened to Obi-Wan and Anakin banter back and forth as if they were siblings instead of friends.

"Arfour," Obi-Wan said to his astromech droid, "can't you do something with the inertials?"

"There isn't a droid made that can outfly you, Master." Anakin said.

"Sorry," Obi-Wan muttered, kicking into a dive that slipped a turbo-laser burst by no more than a meter. "Was that out loud?"

Anakin laughed,"Wouldn't matter if it wasn't. I know what you're thinking."

"Do you?" Obi-Wan asked. "Some new gift of the Force?"

"Not the Force, Master. Experience. That's what you're always thinking."

Buffy laughed, "If I didn't know any better I would have thought you two were siblings instead of Master and former Padawan. You two act much like Dawn and I, do. Don't get me wrong that's a good thing. It just means that you two care for each other is all."

Obi-Wan looked over towards Buffy's fighter and nodded, "You're probably right. I tend to think of Anakin as a brother sometimes."

Buffy frowned, "Uhm guys, incoming tri-fighters." She watched as Obi-Wan and Anakin flew away from each other to avoid the fighters.

They blew past the tri-fighters, looping in evasive spirals. The droid ships wrenched themselves into pursuit maneuvers that would have killed any living pilot. The Force nudged hands on control yokes and the Jedi starfighters twisted and flashed past each other belly-to-belly, close enough to scorch each other's paint. Tri-fighters were the Trade Federation's latest space-superiority droid. But even the electronic reflexes of the tri-fighters' droid brains were too slow for this: one of his pursuers met one of Anakin's head-on. Both vanished in a blossom of flame.

Buffy smiled, "Good shooting, Anakin."

Anakin nodded, "Thanks, Master."

"Oh, marvelous," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath. Anakin's surviving pursuer had switched targets. "Why is it always me?"

"Perfect." Through the cockpit speakers, Anakin's voice carried grim satisfaction. "Both of them are on your tail."

"Perfect is not the word I'd use." Obi-Wan twisted his yoke, juking madly as space around him flared scarlet. "We have to split them up!"

Buffy fell in behind Anakin's fighter, "Anakin take the one on the left I got the one on the right."

"Break left." Anakin sounded calm as a stone. "The turbolaser tower off your port bow: thread its guns. I'll take things from there."

"Easy for you to say." Obi-Wan whipped sideways along the cruiser's superstructure. Fire from the pursuing tri-fighters blasted burning chunks from the cruiser's armor. "Why am I always the bait?"

"I'm right behind you. Artoo, lock on." Anakin said.

Buffy flew after the one on the right and made short work of it before returning to help Anakin.

Obi-Wan dodged blasts from the tri-fighter that continued to follow him. "Anakin, they're all over me!"

Anakin nodded and then concentrated on the last tri-fighter, "Dead ahead. Move right to clear my shot. Now!"

Buffy let out a sigh of relief, "That was close."

R2-D2 twittered, and Anakin checked his console readout. "We've got him, Master. The cruiser dead ahead. That's Grievous's flagship-Invisible Hand.''

"Anakin, there are dozens of cruisers dead ahead!" Buffy said.

"It's the one crawling with vulture fighters." Anakin replied

The vulture fighters clinging to the long curves of the Trade Federation cruiser indicated by Palpatine's beacon gave it eerily life-like ripples, like some metallic marine predator bristling with Alderaanian walking barnacles.

"Oh. That one." Obi-wan said. "Oh, this should be easy . . ."

Buffy frowned, she had never liked Vulture droids. Like their name suggested they were a menace. "Easy? No. Knowing Anakin he'll think it might be fun."

Anakin laughed at that, "I swear Dawn tells you way too much stuff sometimes. You know me just about as well as she does."

"One of you have your droid tight-beam a report to the Temple. And send out a call for any Jedi in starfighters. We'll come at it from all sides."

"Way ahead of you." Anakin replied. But when he checked his comm readout, he shook his

head. "There's still too much ECM. Artoo can't raise the Temple. I think the only reason we can even talk to each other is that we're practically side by side."

"And Jedi beacons?" Buffy asked.

"No joy, Master." Anakin's stomach clenched, but he fought the tension out of his voice. "We may be the only three Jedi out here."

"Then we will have to be enough. Switching to clone fighter channel," Obi-Wan said. "Oddball, do you copy? We need help."

The clone captain's helmet speaker flattened the humanity out of his voice. "Copy, Red Leader."

Buffy watched Grievous ship as Obi-Wan talked to the Clone captain, "Mark my position and form your squad behind me. We're going in."

On our way." Oddball replied.

The Clone trooper's fighters flew into formation behind the three Jedi starfighters. They made short work of fighters they came upon. One fighter though launched Buzz droids.

"I'm hit." Obi-Wan sounded more irritated than concerned. "I'm hit."

"I have visual." Anakin swung his starfighter into closer pursuit. "Buzz droids. I count five."

"Get out of here, Anakin, Buffy. There's nothing you can do." Obi-Wan said

"We're not leaving you, Obi-Wan. You should know that about me. I don't leave people behind." Buffy replied.

Obi-Wan frowned, "Buffy, Anakin, the mission! Get to the command ship! Get the Chancellor!."

"Not without you," Anakin said through his teeth.

"You can't help me." Obi-Wan still maintained his Jedi calm. "They're shutting down the controls."

"I can fix that ..." Anakin replied and he did just that helping Obi-Wan to clear off the Buzz Droids.

Buffy frowned, "Well that wasn't very smart. Though at least the buzz droids are gone."

With help from both Anakin and Buffy they managed to land, well Obi-Wan crashed actually, in the hanger of Grievous ship.

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**Author's Notes**

**nyx'godness **- Of course Han is alive, but Dawn doesn't know that. She think's he died on Corellia in the fire that destroyed Jacen's apartment. She won't learn he is alive till Star Wars: Buffy and A New Hope.


	4. Chapter 4: Rescue or Die Trying

**Chapter 4: Rescue or Die Trying**

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"Artoo, locate a computer link." Anakin said to the droid.

The little droid whistled at him, and Anakin allowed himself a tight smile. Sometimes he thought he could almost understand the droid's electrosonic code. "Don't worry about us. Find Palpatine. Go on, I'll cover you."

"Get to that link!" Anakin had to shout above the whine of blasters and the roar of exploding droids. "I'm going for Obi-Wan!"

"No need." Buffy said as Obi-Wan and Buffy stopped beside Anakin. Buffy looked Obi-Wan, "You know that's two you owe me, right?"

Obi-Wan laughed and shook his head and turned to Artoo, "Do you have a location?"

Artoo beeped at Obi-Wan and brought up a hologram showing a route to Palpatine's location.

"In the General's Quarters." Obi-Wan scowled. "Any sign of Grievous himself?"

Before Artoo could respond Buffy had closed her eyes concentrating on the Force. "He's not there. But I do sense Dooku near the Chancellor."

Obi-Wan hmmed and nodded, "Do you think Grievous couldn't have found Palpatine's beacon? It can hardly be accident that through all the ECM, the Chancellor's homing signal was in the clear. This is a trap. A Jedi trap. Possibly a trap set for us. Personally."

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan, "Likely set for the two of you. I say let's spring it."

"You stay here, Artoo-" Anakin said.

The little droid interrupted him with a wheedling whirr. "No arguments. Stay. I mean it."

R2-D2's whistling reply had a distinctly sulky tone.

"Listen, Artoo, someone has to maintain computer contact; do you see a datajack anywhere on me?"

The droid seemed to acquiesce, but not before wheeping what sounded like it might have been a suggestion where to look.

Waiting by the open hatchway, Obi-Wan shook his head. "Honestly, the way you talk to that thing."

Anakin started toward him. "Careful, Master, you'll hurt his feelings-"

Buffy shook her head, "Really, Obi-Wan you of all people should know that droids are just as alive as you or I. Just cause they can't feel the force or have midi-chlorian's in their blood doesn't make them any less alive."

Obi-Wan nodded and said nothing else on the subject.

Buffy thought for a second, "I think we should split up. I will go up in the first turbolift and you two come up a few seconds later in the second. This way we catch Dooku unaware."

Obi-Wan nodded and Buffy took the turbolift up.

What Buffy didn't expect was that Dooku had anticipated the plot suggested by Buffy. He was ready for her. They fought for a few seconds before Dooku got the upper hand knocking Buffy unconscious and then pinning her beneath a piece of equipment.

When Obi-Wan and Anakin got there they immediately saw Buffy and knew that Dooku had been ready for her.

"General Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker. Gentlemen-a term I use in its loosest possible sense-you and Buffy Naberrie are my prisoners. Though I think I will hand Ms. Naberrie over to Darth Glorificus, she will enjoy killing her I am quite sure." Came Dooku's voice from behind them.

Obi-Wan and Anakin launched at Dooku and a fight ensued. Obi-Wan was knocked out and pinned similarly to Buffy as Anakin continued the fight.

Buffy was just regaining consciousness as Anakin killed Dooku.

Dooku's lightsaber tumbled from Anakin's loosening fingers. "I-I couldn't stop myself. . ."

"You did well, Anakin." Palpatine's voice was warm as an arm around Anakin's shoulders. "You did not only well, but right. He was too dangerous to leave alive."

Buffy pushed the equipment off her, "Dangerous he may have been. Useful he could have been also in knowing the Separatists plans."

"I shouldn't have done that," Anakin said, and now his voice came out solid, and simple, and final.

Palpatine seemed to ignore that Buffy was even there. "Nonsense. Disarming him was nothing; he had powers beyond your imagination."

Anakin shook his head. "That doesn't matter. It's not the Jedi way."

Buffy frowned at Palpatine, "We really should be getting out of here. It's only a matter of time before the Seperatist's battle droids find us."

Anakin nodded and moved to Obi-Wan as Buffy undid the restraints on holding Palpatine to the chair.

"Leave him, Anakin. There is no time." Palpatine was being supported by Buffy. "This whole spire may be about to break free-"

Buffy frowned at Palpatine, "Obi-Wan's fate will be the same as ours. I will not leave anyone behind. Never have, never will."

Anakin nodded in agreement as he grabbed the unconscious Obi-Wan. Palpatine was angry at Buffy and at Glorificus for not being able to killing the woman. At the first chance he got he would remedy that mistake, and kill her himself.

They made their way into the elevator shaft as the ship's gravity shifted. They were running along the shaft when it shifted back and they found themselves sliding down the shaft. They managed to stop their slide as Obi-Wan regained consciousness.

Obi-Wan said, "Um, have I missed something?"

Buffy laughed, "Sleeping on the job again, Ehh?"

"Hang on," Anakin said. "We're in a bit of a situation here."

Buffy looked at Anakin, "I think if we use grapples we can swing into the next level."

Anakin nodded in agreement.

They did as Buffy suggested and swung into an open doorway a couple levels down. Luck certainly wasn't with them as they suddenly found themselves captured and brought before General Grievous.

"Rare trophies, these: the weapons of Anakin Skywalker, Buffy Naberrie, and the weapon of General Kenobi. I look forward to adding them to my collection."

"That will not happen. I am in control here." Obi-Wan replied.

Grievous towered over him. "So confident you are, Kenobi." "Not confident, merely calm."

Buffy laughed and Grievous turned to her, "Find something funny?" Grievous asked.

Buffy nodded, "Yep, you. You're the confidant one here, and you're the one that is about to fail. I'm willing to accept your surrender. I highly suggest you take it."

"I'm sure you are." The skull-mask tilted inquisitively. "Does this preposterous I-will-accept-your-surrender line of yours ever actually work?"

"Sometimes. When it doesn't, people get hurt. Sometimes they die." Obi-Wan's blue-gray eyes met squarely those of yellow behind the mask. "By people, in this case, you should understand that I mean you."

"I understand enough. I understand that I will kill you." Grievous threw back his cloak and ignited all three of the lightsabers. "Here. Now. With your own blades."

Buffy laughed again before closing her eyes. Suddenly her lightsaber, as well as Anakin and Obi-Wan's flew out of Grievous hands and into her own. Grievous was taken back, no Jedi had managed to do that before. She tossed Anakin and Obi-Wan's lightsaber to them.

"Let me guess you don't know who I really am do you." For the first time in many years, Buffy could feel the Slayer itching for a fight and she let it out.

Buffy's attacks were vicious driving Grievous back. He could not gain ground so he did the only thing he could he shattered a window and leaped out of it. Buffy could feel the air escaping and grabbed a seat in front of her to make sure she didn't go flying out the window before the bulkhead came crashing down cutting off the vacuum.

Buffy turned to Obi-Wan and noticed their astonished faces. "The Slayer," was all Buffy said and everyone except Palpatine understood what she meant. "Hasn't been let out in years, was itching for a fight, decided to let it have one for old time sake. We need to get to escape pods. This ship is going to come apart at the seams."

Anakin looked at a console and shook his head, "All the escape pods have been launched. We're stuck here."

Obi-Wan frowned, "That leaves us with one option. Anakin you think you can land this thing?"

Anakin laughed, "Probably more like crash land. But don't look like we have much of a choice."

All 4 of them strapped themselves in as Anakin tried to set them down in one piece.


	5. Chapter 5: Padme

**Chapter 5: Padme**

* * *

Buffy stood next to Obi-Wan, Anakin and Palpatine as they talked with Mace Windu over what went on the ship. When the others left Windu turned to Buffy, "Would you like to talk about it, Buffy?"

Buffy blinked noticing for the first time she and Mace were alone. She sighed and nodded, "I felt the Slayer for the first time in years. I thought I had suppressed it years ago."

Mace nodded as he listened, "You let it out didn't you?"

Buffy sighed and nodded, "While I kind of won against Grievous. I hated what it turned me in to, a killing machine. It wasn't like it used to be on Earth, it was ten times worse because it had been suppressed for so long."

Mace nodded again, "It is understandable you didn't like the feeling. You aren't the same person you were 15 years ago when you first arrived in this dimension. You have grown and evolved to become something more. Take solace in the fact you are not that person anymore. You now know what it means to let the Slayer out and you know that with time you will quiet it permanently."

Buffy smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Mace."

"You're welcome, Buffy. I believe your sister requested your presence when you came back. Take some time and go visit her."

Buffy nodded and left for Padme's apartment.

Buffy ran into Anakin in the turbolift on the way up to Padme's apartment, "Going to see, Padme?"

Anakin looked up and blinked, "You know?"

Buffy nodded, "Dawn told me. Don't worry your secret is safe with me, Anakin."

Anakin smiled, he was glad she knew. He knew Padme had wanted to tell her from the start but he had been afraid Buffy would out them and he would be expelled. "Thank you."

Buffy nodded, "It's no problem, Anakin."

The door opened to find Dawn and Padme waiting for them.

"Anakin, Anakin, oh my Anakin, I-I can't believe you're home. They told me..."' Padme almost choked for a second. "There were whispers . . . that you'd been killed. I couldn't-every day-"

"Never believe stories like that," Anakin whispered. "Never. I will always come back to you, Padme."

Padme smiled, "I've lived a year for every hour you were away. It's been a lifetime. Two."

Buffy coughed, "You were worried about him. What about me, your sister?"

Dawn simply laughed and hugged Buffy.

Padme looked at Buffy as if just now noticing she was there, "Sorry Buffy. I was worried about you also. I hear congratulations are in order for being made a Master and given a seat on the Council."

Buffy sighed, "Well Master probably would have happened eventually. They gave me a seat on the Council because of my experience as the Slayer and the situation on Naboo when the Trade Federation had invaded."

Padme nodded, "I can understand that, they needed someone with your experience to help end this war."

Padme reached up to the burn-scar high on Anakin's cheek. "You were hurt ..."

"Nothing serious," Anakin said with half a smile. "Just an unfriendly reminder to keep up with my lightsaber practice."

"Five months.'' Padme almost moaned. "Five months-how could they do that to us?"

Anakin nodded, "As much as I hate to say it I am glad the Chancellor got kidnapped. Or I feel they would likely have sent me and Obi-Wan out on another mission right away."

Anakin wrapped Padme up in his arms, oblivious to the fact they were still in the atrium. Anakin, not here. It's too risky. What if one of my neighbor's should see you?"

Buffy sighed and frowned looking at Anakin then Padme and finally to Dawn who nodded in agreement with what Buffy had been thinking.

"No, here! Exactly here." He drew her against him again, effortlessly overpowering her halfhearted resistance. "I'm tired of the deception. Of the sneaking and the lying. We have nothing to be ashamed of! We love each other, and we are married. Just like trillions of beings across the galaxy. This is something we should shout, not whisper-"

"No, Anakin. Not like all those others. They are not Jedi. We can't let our love force you out of the Order-"

"Force me out of the Order?" He smiled down at her fondly "Was that a pun?"

"Anakin-" He could still make her angry without even trying. "Listen to me. We have a duty to the Republic. Both of us- but yours is now so much more important. You are the face of the Jedi, Anakin. Even after these years of war, many people still love the Jedi, and it's mostly because they love you, do you understand that? They love the story of you. You're like something out of a bedtime tale, the secret prince, hidden among the peasants, growing up without ever a clue of his special destiny- except for you it's all true. Sometimes I think that the only reason the people of the Republic still believe we can win the war is because you're fighting it for them-"

"And it always comes back to politics for you," Anakin said. His smile had gone now. "I'm barely even home, and you're already trying to talk me into going back to the war-"

"This isn't about politics, Anakin, it's about you."

"Something has changed, hasn't it?" Thunder gathered in his voice. "I felt it, even in the turbolift. Something has changed."

She lowered her head. "Everything has changed."

Dawn put her hand on Anakin's shoulder only to have it shrugged off.

"What is it? What?" He took her by the shoulders now, his hands hard and irresistibly powerful. "There's someone else. I can feel it in the Force! There is someone coming between us-"

"Not the way you think," she said. "Anakin, listen-" "Who is it? Who?"

"Stop it. Anakin, stop. You'll hurt us."

Buffy stepped between Anakin and Padme at that moment sensing something from Padme. She turned to face Dawn who nodded again. Realization of what was happening crossed her mind, "Anakin calm down or you will hurt your children."

Anakin blinked and looked at Padme who nodded, "Yes, Anakin, I'm pregnant. You're going to be an Uncle and a Father."

"That is," Anakin said slowly, that wild spark returning to his eyes, "... wonderful . . . Padme-that's wonderful. How long have you known?"

She shook her head. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to be happy, that's what we're going to do. And we're going to be together. All three of us."

"But-"

"No." He laid a gentle finger on her lips, smiling down at her. "No buts. No worries. You worry too much as it is."

"I have to," she said, smiling through the tears in her eyes. "Because you never worry at all."

Buffy smiled, "Actually make that the six of us. Anakin, Padme, and your child. Me, Dawn, and her child."

Padme and Anakin turned and looked at Buffy, "Dawn had been set to of resign as a Jedi before Jacen died. Today you guys made me realize something. Once the war is over I want to have a child of my own. I plan to tender my resignation once the war is over."

Padme looked at Dawn who nodded before Padme turned to face Buffy again. "Are you sure about that Buffy?"

"I'm sure. I've been sacrificing myself for others since I was 15 years old; I even died once for others. When do I get to live for myself? When do I get to stop sacrificing for others and am allowed to live." Buffy replied.

Dawn smiled and hugged Buffy, "I wondered how long it would take you to realize that. Uhm guys I think we need to move this in to the apartment before someone comes out wondering what's going on."

They all nodded in agreement and moved in to the apartment.

That night two people shared a dream. In the dream Padme could be heard screaming for Anakin, how she had begged for Anakin, and how she had died in childbirth.

Buffy sat straight up in bed in her apartment at the Jedi temple. She felt her forehead and noticed how she was sweating. Buffy looked over to Dawn's bed wanting to talk to her before remembering Dawn was at Padme's apartment. Buffy got up and got dressed. She walked outside on to one of the balconies and sat down leaning against the wall. Buffy did not notice when Mace Windu walked up behind her. "You're up kinda late." Mace said.

Buffy looked up, "I had a bad dream."

Mace nodded and sat down beside Buffy, "Want to talk about it?"

Buffy sighed, "I had dreamt my sister had died in childbirth."

Mace nodded assuming the sister she meant was Dawn, "Do you think it was just a dream, or a Slayer dream?"

Buffy shrugged she was unsure what the dream was, "I don't know."

They sat there in silence neither one knowing what to say to the other. Eventually they parted heading back to their own apartments.

In Padme's apartment Dawn was woken up by the sounds of Anakin and Padme talking out on the balcony. She got up and decided to join them.

Anakin sighed, "You're going to die in childbirth."

"Oh," Padme said.

Dawn flinched as she heard that, she turned and walked back in to the spare bedroom that Padme had set aside for her. She sat at the communications terminal and opened a comlink to Buffy's apartment.

It seemed like forever before Buffy answered, "What is it, Dawn?"

Dawn looked back at the door, "I was woke up by Anakin and Padme talking. I overheard Anakin say something about her dying in childbirth."

Buffy blinked and nodded.

"You don't look surprised." Dawn said.

Buffy sighed, "I had a dream earlier this evening. I dreamt that Padme had died in childbirth. I wasn't sure if it was just my subconscious playing tricks on my mind or if it was a Force vision or a Slayer dream. I didn't want to say anything till I knew for sure."


	6. Chapter 6: Masters

**Chapter 6: Masters**

* * *

Obi-Wan sat beside Buffy and Mace Windu while they watched Yoda scan the report. Here in Yoda's simple living space within the Jedi Temple, every softly curving pod chair and knurled organiform table hummed with gentle, comforting power: the same warm strength that Obi-Wan remembered enfolding him even as an infant. These chambers had been Yoda's home for more than eight hundred years. Everything within them echoed with the harmonic resonance of Yoda's calm wisdom, tuned through centuries of his touch. To sit within Yoda's chambers was to inhale serenity; to Obi-Wan, this was a great gift in these troubled times.

But when Yoda looked at them through the translucent shimmer of the holoprojected report on the contents of the latest amendment to the Security Act, his eyes were anything but calm: they had gone narrow and cold, and his ears had flattened back along his skull. "This report-from where does it come?"

"The Jedi still have friends in the Senate," Buffy replied, "for now."

"When presented this amendment is, passed it will be?"

Buffy nodded. "My source expects passage by acclamation. Overwhelming passage. Perhaps as early as this afternoon."

"The Chancellor's goal in this-unclear to me it is," Yoda said slowly. "Though nominally in command of the Council, the Senate may place him, the Jedi he cannot control. Moral, our authority has always been; much more than merely legal. Simply follow orders, Jedi do not!"

"I don't think he intends to control the Jedi," Mace said. "By placing the Jedi Council under the control of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, this amendment will give him the constitutional authority to disband the Order itself."

"Surely you cannot believe this is his intention." Obi-Wan said.

"His intention?" Mace said darkly. "Perhaps not. But his intentions are irrelevant; all that matters now is the intent of the Sith Lord who has our government in his grip. And the Jedi Order may be all that stands between him and galactic domination. What do you think he will do?"

"Authority to disband the Jedi, the Senate would never grant." Yoda said.

Buffy shook her head, "Not so sure of that, am I. I would bet my life they will grant it. I feel there is a plot here we do not know about.

"The Senate will vote to grant exactly that. This afternoon." Mace said.

Obi-Wan sighes, "The implications of this, they must not comprehend!"

"It no longer matters what they comprehend," Mace said.

Buffy frowns, "They know where the power is."

"But even disbanded, even without legal authority, still Jedi we would be. Jedi Knights served the Force long before there was a Galactic Republic, and serve it we will when this Republic is but dust." Yoda stated.

"Master Yoda, that day may be coming sooner than any of us think. That day may be today." Mace shot a frustrated look at Obi-Wan, who picked up his cue smoothly.

"We don't know what the Sith Lord's plans may be," Obi-Wan said, "but we can be certain that Palpatine is not to be trusted. Not anymore. This draft resolution is not the product of some overzealous Senator; we may be sure Palpatine wrote it himself and passed it along to someone he controls-to make it-look like the Senate is once more 'forcing him to reluctantly accept extra powers in the name of security.' We are afraid that they will continue to do so until one day he's 'forced to reluctantly accept' dictatorship for life!"

Buffy shook her head, "It won't come to that. I would rather let the Slayer have free reign than be a slave in a dictatorship."

"I am convinced this is the next step in a plot aimed directly at the heart of the Jedi," Mace said. "This is a move toward our destruction. The dark side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor."

Obi-Wan added, "As it has surrounded and cloaked the Separatists since even before the war began. If the Chancellor is being influenced through the dark side, this whole war may have been, from the beginning, a plot by the Sith to destroy the Jedi Order."

"Speculation!" Yoda thumped the floor with his gimer stick, making his hoverchair bob gently. "On theories such as these we cannot rely. Proof' we need. Proof!"

"Proof may be a luxury we cannot afford." A dangerous light had entered Mace Windu's eyes. "We must be ready to act!"

"Act?" Obi-Wan asked mildly.

Buffy sighed, "Yes act. He cannot be allowed to move against the Order. He cannot be allowed to prolong the war needlessly. Too many Jedi have died already. He is dismantling the Republic itself! I have seen life outside the Republic; so have you, Obi-Wan. Slavery. Torture. Endless war."

Mace's face darkened with the same distant, haunted shadow Obi-Wan had seen him wear the day before. "I have seen it in Nar Shaddaa, and I saw it on Haruun Kal. I saw what it did to Depa, and to Sora Bulq. Whatever its flaws, the Republic is our sole hope for justice, and for peace. It is our only defense against the dark. Palpatine may be about to do what the Separatists cannot: bring down the Republic. If he tries, he must be removed from office."

Buffy nods, "I saw it on Tatooine. Dawn was a slave when I found her. No way no how will I ever allow that to happen to her again."

"Removed?" Obi-Wan said. "You mean, arrested?"

Yoda shook his head. "To a dark place, this line of thought will lead us. Great care, we must take."

Buffy laughed, "Dark places are my specialty."

"The Republic is civilization. It's the only one we have." Mace looked deeply into Yoda's eyes, and into Obi-Wan's, and Obi-Wan could feel the heat in the Korun Master's gaze. "We must be prepared for radical action. It is our duty."

"But," Obi-Wan protested numbly, "you're talking about treason ..."

"I'm not afraid of words, Obi-Wan! If it's treason, then so be it. I would do this right now, if I had the Council's support. The real treason," Mace said, "would be failure to act!"

"Such an act, destroy the Jedi Order it could," Yoda said. "Lost the trust of the public, we have already-"

"No disrespect, Master Yoda," Buffy interrupted, "but that's a politician's argument. We can't let public opinion stop us from doing what's right.''

"Convinced it is right, I am not," Yoda said severely. "Working behind the scenes we should be, to uncover Lord Sidious! To move against Palpatine while the Sith still exist-this may be part of the Sith plan itself, to turn the Senate and the public against the Jedi! So that we are not only disbanded, but outlawed."

Mace was half out of his pod. "To wait gives the Sith the advantage-"

"Have the advantage already, they do!" Yoda jabbed at him with his gimer stick. " Increase their advantage we will, if in haste we act!"

"Masters, Masters, please," Obi-Wan said. He looked from one to the other and inclined his head respectfully. "Perhaps there is a middle way."

"Ah, of course: Kenobi the Negotiator." Mace Windu settled back into his seating pod. "I should have guessed. That is why you asked for this meeting, isn't it? To mediate our differences. If you can."

"So sure of your skills you are?" Yoda folded his fists around the head of his stick. "Easy to negotiate, this matter is not!"

Obi-Wan kept his head down. "It seems to me," he said carefully, "that Palpatine himself has given us an opening. He has said-both to you, Master Windu, and in the HoloNet address he gave following his rescue-that General Grievous is the true obstacle to peace. Let us forget about the rest of the Separatist leadership, for now. Let Nute Gunray and San Hill and the rest run wherever they like, while we put every available Jedi and all of our agents-the whole of Republic Intelligence, if we can-to work on locating Grievous himself. This will force the hand of the Sith Lord; he will know that Grievous cannot elude our full efforts for long, once we devote ourselves exclusively to his capture. It will draw Sidious out; he will have to make some sort of move, if he wishes the war to continue."

"If?" Mace said. "The war has been a Sith operation from the beginning, with Dooku on one side and Sidious on the other- it has always been a plot aimed at us. At the Jedi. To bleed us dry of our youngest and best. To make us into something we were never intended to be."

He shook his head bitterly. "I had the truth in ray hands years ago-back on Haruun Kal, in the first months of the war. I had it, but I did not understand how right I was."

"Seen glimpses of this truth, we all have," Yoda said sadly. "Our arrogance it is, which has stopped us from fully opening our eyes."

"Until now," Obi-Wan put in gently. "We understand now the goal of the Sith Lord, we know his tactics, and we know where to look for him. His actions will reveal him. He cannot escape us. He will not escape us."

Yoda and Mace frowned at each other for one long moment, then both of them turned to Obi-Wan and inclined their heads in mirrors of his respectful bow.

"Seen to the heart of the matter, young Kenobi has." Yoda said.

Mace nodded. "Yoda and I will remain on Coruscant, monitoring Palpatine's advisers and lackeys; we'll move against Sidious the instant he is revealed. But who will capture Grievous? I have fought him blade-to-blade. He is more than a match for most Jedi."

"We'll worry about that once we find him," Obi-Wan said. A slight, wistful smile crept over his face. "If I listen hard enough, I can almost hear Qui-Gon reminding me that until the possible becomes actual, it is only a distraction."

Buffy thought for a moment and nodded. When the time was right she would ask that she and Obi-Wan go to face Grievous. She would have preferred Dawn to come with her but due to Dawn's pregnancy she was not able to do anything.


	7. Chapter 7: Politics

**Chapter 7: Politics**

Orbital mirrors rotated, resolving the faint light of Coruscant's sun to erase the stars; fireships crosshatched the sky with contrails of chemical air scrubber, bleaching away the last reminders of the fires of days past; chill remnants of night slid down the High Council Tower of the Jedi Temple; and within the cloistered chamber itself, Obi-Wan was still trying to talk them out of it.

"Yes, of course I trust him," he said patiently. "We can always trust Anakin to do what he thinks is right. But we can't trust him to do what he's told. He can't be made to simply obey. Believe me: I've been trying for many years."

"An unintentional opportunity, the Chancellor has given us," Yoda said gravely. "A window he has opened into the operations of his office. Fools we would be, to close our eyes."

"Then we should use someone else's eyes," Obi-Wan said "Forgive me, Master Yoda, but you just don't know him the way I do. None of you does. He is fiercely loyal, and there is not a gram of deception in him. You've all seen it; it's one of the arguments that some of you, here in this room, have used against elevating him to Master: he lacks true Jedi reserve, that's what you've said. And by that we all mean that he wears his emotions like a HoloNet banner. How can you ask him to lie to a friend to spy upon him?"

"That is why we must call upon a friend to ask him," said Agen Kolar in his gentle Zabrak baritone.

"You don't understand. Don't make him choose between me and Palpatine-" Obi-Wan said.

"Why not?" asked the holopresence of Plo Koon from the bridge of Courageous, where he directed the Republic Navy strike force against the Separatist choke point in the Ywllandr system. "Do you fear you would lose such a contest?"

Buffy sighed, "My fellow Masters. I have to agree with Obi-Wan on this. To choose Anakin for this is not wise. A Master should be assigned. Anakin is too close to the Chancellor to make an unbiased decision. You're asking him to use that friendship as a weapon! To stab his friend in the back. Don't you understand what this will cost him, even if the Chancellor is entirely innocent? Especially if he's innocent. Their relationship will never be the same-"

"And that," Mace Windu said, "may be the best argument in favor of this plan. I have told you all what I have seen of the energy between Skywalker and the Supreme Chancellor. Anything that might distance young Skywalker from Palpatine's influence is worth the attempt."

Obi-Wan looked at Buffy who simply nodded in resignation. Buffy knew that just the two of them against the entire council they would not be able to win the argument.

"I will, of course, abide by the ruling of this Council." Obi-Wan said.

Buffy nodded in agreement, "As will I. But I would like to put my objection on record that this is not a wise plan."

Mace nods, "Duly noted, Buffy."

"Doubt of that, none of us has." Yoda turned his green gaze on the other councilors. "But if to be done this is, decide we must how best to use him."

They continued the discussion on how best to utilize the information at hand, and how best to use Anakin.

Buffy sighed as she let her thoughts drift. She didn't like the situation they were putting Anakin in. To betray a friend as they were asking him to do was not the right thing to do.

Moments later Anakin entered. She watched as the Council told him their decision. And his look of surprise at being on the Council but not a Master. She felt in that moment sorry for him. He was right that it was an insult, but not only to him but all Jedi.

Meanwhile in Bail Organa's office….

Bail nodded towards Dawn, "Senator Amidala may I ask why a member of the Jedi Order is here?"

Padme sighed, "Dawn is here as my advisor. She is currently on leave from the Order due to her pregnancy."

Bail nods as they discuss the Sector Governance Decree.

"I am no happier than the rest of you about this," Padme said, gesturing at the flimsiplast of the Sector Governance Decree on Bail Organa's desk. "But I've known Palpatine for years; he was my most trusted adviser. I'm not prepared to believe his intent is to dismantle the Senate."

"Why should he bother?" Mon Mothma countered. "As a practical matter-as of this morning-the Senate no longer exists."

Padme looked from one grim face to another. Giddean Danu nodded his agreement. Terr Taneel kept her eyes down, pretending to be adjusting her robes. Fang Zar ran a hand over his unruly gray-streaked topknot.

Bail leaned forward. His eyes were hard as chips of stone. "Palpatine no longer has to worry about controlling the Senate. By placing his own lackeys as governors over every planet in the Republic, he controls our systems directly.'''' He folded his hands, and squeezed them together until his knuckles hurt. "He's become a dictator. We made him a dictator."

"Still what can we do about it?" Terr Taneel asked, still gazing down at her robe with a worried frown.

"That's what we asked you here to discuss," Mon Mothma told her calmly.

"What we're going to do about it." Fang Zar shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I like where this is going."

"None of us likes where anything is going," Bail said, half rising

"That's exactly the point. We can't let a thousand years of democracy disappear without a fight!"

"A fight?" Padme said. "I can't believe what I'm hearing- Bail, you sound like a Separatist!"

"I-" Bail sank back into his seat. "I apologize. That was not my intent. I asked you all here because of all the Senators in the galaxy, you four have been the most consistent-and influential- voices of reason and restraint, doing all you could to preserve our poor, tattered Constitution. We don't want to hurt the Republic. With your help, we hope to save it."

"It has become increasingly clear," Mon Mothma said, "that Palpatine has become an enemy of democracy. He must be stopped."

"The Senate gave him these powers," Padme said. "The Senate can rein him in."

Dawn nods in agreement, "Senators if I may. Regardless of the Governors control over individual planets. You all control the Senate, not the Chancellor. If the Senate were to pass a decree restricting the Chancellor and even abolishing his decrees…."

Giddean Danu sat forward. "I fear you both underestimate just how deeply the Senate's corruption has taken hold. Who will vote against Palpatine now?"

"I will," Padme said. She discovered that she meant it. "And I'll find others, too."

Dawn nods, "And I am sure you will have the backing of the Jedi Order." Dawn had talked to Buffy several times the past few days. She knew the Jedi were having the same kind of talks as the Senators here were.

"You do that," Bail said. "Make as much noise as you can- keep Palpatine watching what you're doing in the Senate. That should provide some cover while Mon Mothma and I begin building our organization-"

"Stop." Padme rose. "It's better to leave some things unsaid. Right now, it's better I don't know anything about . . . anything."

Dawn nodded in agreement, "It is better both Padme and I not here of certain things. I am a Jedi after all. Padme's and my sister is also a member of the Order. This way we don't have to lie to anyone."

Padme looked to Dawn and nodded. She had been thinking the same thing. Padme knew that Dawn was thinking more of Anakin than Buffy. With Anakin's friendship with the Chancellor. They couldn't risk saying anything that might get back to his ears.

Bail nodded. "Very well. Other matters can be left for other times. Until then, this meeting must remain absolutely secret Even hinting at an effective opposition to Palpatine can be as we've all seen, very dangerous. We must agree never to speak of these matters except among the people who are now in this room. We must bring no one into this secret without the agreement of each and every one of us."

"That includes even those closest to you," Mon Mothma added. "Even your families-to share anything of this will expose them to the same danger we all face. No one can be told. No one."

Padme sighed. "Yes. Yes: agreed."

Everyone left the office as Padme and Dawn went back to Padme's apartment.

Dawn sighed as she sat down, "I hate lying to Buffy and Ani, but if they found out it could be of the bad. Buffy would tell the Council. Ani would tell the Chancellor."

Padme nods, "I know. I'm right there with you, Dawn. Anyways I've been meaning to ask. Have you decided a name for your baby yet?"

Dawn nods, "If it's a girl Aurora Hope, if it's a boy Jacen Han. What about you?"

Padme smiled, "Leia if it's a girl. Luke if it's a boy."


	8. Chapter 8: Balcony Talks

**Chapter 8: Balcony Talks**

Padme and Dawn gazed out on the sunset, but Anakin gazed only at Padme. He said softly, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Padme and Dawn jumped as if he'd pricked them with a needle. "Anakin!" Padme shouted as Dawn shouted, "Ani!"

For a second Dawn wondered why she hadn't sensed Anakin's approach. Then she dismissed the thought and shook her head.

"I'm sorry." Anakin smiled fondly as he moved out from the shadows. "I didn't mean to startle either of you."

Dawn nodded and moved to hug Anakin. He absently moved his hand to Dawn's stomach, "So how is my niece or nephew today?" Anakin asked.

Dawn smiled, "Him or her and your sister are all doing fine. Thank you for asking, Ani."

Anakin smiled as he stepped away from Dawn, "You and Padme are always the first things on my mind."

Padme held one hand pressed to her chest as though to keep her heart from leaping out. "No-no, it's all right. I just-Anakin, you shouldn't be out here. It's still daylight-"

"I couldn't wait, Padme. I had to see you." Anakin took her in his arms. "Tonight is forever from now-how am I supposed to live that long without you?"

Padme's hand went from her chest to his. "But we're in full view of a million people, and you're a very famous man. Let's go inside."

Dawn nodded in agreement, "Yes let's go inside."

Anakin drew her back from the edge of the veranda, but made no move to enter the apartment. "How are you feeling?"

Her smile was radiant as Tatooine's primary as she took his flesh hand and pressed it to the soft fullness of her belly. "He keeps kicking."

"He?" Anakin asked mildly. "I thought you'd ordered your medical droid not to spoil the surprise."

"Oh, I didn't get this from the Emdee. It's my . . ." Her smile went softly sly. "... motherly intuition."

He felt a sudden pulse against his palm and laughed. "Motherly intuition, huh? With a kick that hard? Definitely a girl."

Dawn looked down at her stomach and smiled. She too had ordered the medical droid not to ruin the surprise.

Padme laid her head against his chest. "Anakin, let's go inside."

He nuzzled her gleaming coils of hair. "I can't stay. I'm on my way to meet with the Chancellor."

"Yes, I heard about your appointment to the Council. Anakin, I'm so proud of you."

Dawn sighed, "Buffy and I agree with you Anakin. It's an insult to be on the Council but not be a Master."

Anakin turned to Dawn, "You know? How?"

Dawn sighs, "Buffy and I do talk. She is after all my sister."

Anakin sighed and nodded. "If I may ask what is her position on what their asking me to do?"

"Buffy doesn't like it." Dawn replied.

"Regardless to be on the Council, at your age-" Padme said.

"They put me on the Council because they had to. Because he told them to, once the Senate gave him control of the Jedi." Anakin's voice lowered toward a growl. "And because they think they can use me against the Chancellor."

Padme's eyes went oddly remote, and thoughtful. "Against the Chancellor," she echoed. "The Jedi don't trust him?"

Dawn nods, "Remember what I said earlier Padme."

Padme nods.

"That doesn't mean much. They don't trust me, either." Anakin's mouth compressed to a thin bitter line. "They'll give me a chair in the Council Chamber, but that's as far as it will go. They won't accept me as a Master."

Padme's gaze returned from that thoughtful distance, and she smiled up at him. "Patience, my love. In time, they will recognize your ability."

Dawn nodded in agreement, "They will with time, Ani. Of that I am certain."

"They already recognize my abilities. They fear my abilities," Anakin said bitterly. "But this isn't even about that. It's a political game."

"Anakin-" Padme said.

"I don't know what's happening to the Order, but whatever it is, I don't like it." He shook his head. "This war is destroying everything the Republic is supposed to stand for. I mean, what are we fighting for, anyway? What about all this is worth saving?"

Padme nodded sadly, disengaging from Anakin's arms and drifting away. "Sometimes I wonder if we're on the wrong side."

Dawn blinked, "The wrong side?"

"The wrong side?" Anakin replied.

"You think everything I've accomplished has been for nothing-? Padme said.

He frowned at her. "You can't mean that."

Padme turned from Anakin, speaking to the vast airway beyond the veranda's edge. "What if the democracy we're fighting for no longer exists? What if the Republic itself has become the very evil we've been fighting to destroy?"

Dawn had been thinking of the same thing since Revan had shown her and Buffy the prophecy he had witnessed. She thought back to that line about the Sith ruling the galaxy and shuddered. She hoped the prophecy would turn out to be wrong.

"Oh this again." Anakin irritably waved off her words. "I've been hearing that garbage ever since Geonosis. I never thought I'd hear it from you."

Padme nods, "A few seconds ago you were saying almost the same thing!"

Anakin shakes his head, "Where would the Republic be without Palpatine?"

"I don't know," Padme said. "But I'm not sure it would be worse than where we are."

"Everybody complains about Palpatine having too much power, but nobody offers a better alternative. Who should be running the war? The Senate? You're in the Senate, you know those people-how many of them do you trust?"

Dawn bit her lip, she thought back to the meeting Padme had with some of the senators earlier. One of the senators had said the majority of the senate was corrupt. She suspected the number that Padme might trust is in the minority.

Padme looked at Dawn and sighed, "All I know is that things are going wrong here. Our government is headed in exactly the wrong direction. You know it, too-you just said so!"

Anakin nods, "I didn't mean that. I just-I'm tired of this, that's all. This political garbage. Sometimes I'd rather just be back out on the front lines. At least out there, I know who the bad guys are."

"I'm becoming afraid," Padme replied in a bitter undertone, "that I might know who the bad guys are here, too."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "You're starting to sound like a Separatist."

"Anakin, the whole galaxy knows now that Count Dooku is dead. This is the time we should be pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the war-but instead the fighting is intensifying! Palpatine's your friend, he might listen to you. When you see him tonight, ask him, in the name of simple decency, to offer a ceasefire-"

Dawn frowned, "Padme! It's not that simple. Oh I wish it was, but it never is."

Anakin's face went hard. "Is that an order?"

Padme blinked. "What?"

"Do I get any say in this?" Anakin stalked toward her. "Does my opinion matter? What if I don't agree with you? What if I think Palpatine's way is the right way?"

"Anakin, hundreds of thousands of beings are dying every day!" Padme said.

"It's a war, Padme. We didn't ask for it, remember? You were there - remember your attempt at a peaceful resolution on Geonosis!"

"I was-" Padme shrank away from what she saw on his face blinking harder, brows drawn together. "I was only asking ..."

"Everyone is only asking. Everyone wants something from me. And I'm the bad guy if they don't get it!" Anakin spun away from them, cloak whirling, and found himself at the veranda's edge, leaning on the rail. The durasteel piping groaned in his mechanical grip. "I'm sick of this," Anakin muttered. "I'm sick of all of it."

He didn't hear her come to him; the rush of aircars through the lanes below the veranda drowned her footsteps. He didn't see the hurt on her face, or the hint of tears in her eyes, but he could feel them, in the tentative softness of her touch when she stroked his arm, and he could hear them in her hesitant voice. "Anakin, what is it? What is it really?"

He shook his head. He couldn't look at her. "Nothing that's your fault," he said. "Nothing you can help."

Padme shook her head as she looked from Anakin to Dawn and back, "Don't shut me out, Anakin. Let me try. Let us try."

Dawn nods, "Yes, let us try."

"You can't help me." He stared down through dozens of crisscross lanes of traffic, down toward the invisible bedrock of the planet. "I'm trying to help you." He'd seen something in her eyes, when he'd mentioned the Council and Palpatine. He'd seen it. "What aren't you telling me?"

Padme's hand went still, and she did not answer.

"I can feel it, Padme. I sense you're keeping a secret." Anakin turns and looks at Dawn and frowns, "You're both keeping a secret."

Dawn sighed, "As are you, Ani."

"Oh?" she said softly. Lightly. "That's funny, I was thinking the same about you."

He just kept staring down over the rail into the invisible distance below. She moved close to him, moved against him, her arm sliding around his shoulders, her cheek leaning lightly on his arm. "Why does it have to be like this? Why does there have to even be such a thing as war? Can't we just . . . go back? Even just to pretend. Let's pretend we're back at the lake on Naboo, just the two of us. When there was no war, no politics. No plotting. Just us. You and me, and love. That's all we need. You and me, and love."

Right now Anakin couldn't remember what that had been like. "I have to go," he said. "The Chancellor is waiting."


	9. Chapter 9: Will of the Force

**Chapter 9: Will of the Force**

Dawn was in the kitchen getting a late night snack when she heard the chime from the door. "Who could be here this late?"

She watched as C-3PO opened the door and Obi-Wan stepped in. "I am here to see Senator Amidala and Jedi Dawn Skywalker."

C-3PO nods as he comms Motee one of Padme's handmaidens. He then walks in to the kitchen, "Mistress Dawn… Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi is here to see you and Mistress Padme."

Dawn nods, "Thank you Threepio. You commed Padme?"

The droid indicated he had. Dawn left the kitchen and entered the living area, "Master."

Obi-Wan, "Dawn. How are you doing?"

Dawn smiled, "I am fine thank you for asking, Master. Though I am kind of anxious to see my child born already."

Obi-Wan chuckled, "Only another month or so, correct?"

Dawn nods as Padme enters from her room.

"Obi-Wan," Padme said breathlessly, "has See-Threepio offered you anything to drink?"

Obi-Wan turned to her, a frown clearing from his brow. "Senator," he said warmly. "So good to see you again. I apologize for the early hour, and yes, your protocol droid has been quite insistent on offering me refreshment."

Padme laughed, "Technically he belongs to Dawn and Anakin. But since the Jedi forbid owning anything, well…"

Obi-Wan nodded his frown began to regather. "But as you may guess, this is not a social call. I've come to speak with the two of you about Anakin."

"I was very happy to learn of his appointment to the Council." Padme said.

Dawn sighed, "No offense to the masters, Master. But I agree with Buffy and Ani's opinion that to give him a seat on the Council and not make him a Master. Is an insult not only to him but all Jedi."

Obi-Wan frowns, "The Council's decision you will uphold, Jedi Skywalker."

Dawn blanched as if Buffy had used her full name. "Yes, Master."

"Anyways it is perhaps less than he deserves - though I'm afraid it may be more than he can handle. Has he been to see either of you?"

"Several times," Dawn said evenly. "Something is wrong, isn't it?"

Obi-Wan tilted his head, and a hint of rueful smile showed through his beard. "Be mindful of your feelings, Dawn. But you are correct it has something to do with Anakin." Obi-Wan looked very tired, and profoundly troubled. "May I sit?"

"Please." Padme waved him to the couch and lowered herself onto its edge beside him. "Is he in trouble again?"

Dawn sat in a nearby chair, lowering herself much like Padme had just done.

"I certainly hope not. This is more ... a personal matter." He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "He's been put in a difficult position as the Chancellor's representative, but I think there's more to it than that. We-had words, yesterday, and we parted badly."

"What were these words about?" Padme asked delicately.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," he said with a vaguely apologetic frown. "Jedi business. You understand."

She inclined her head. "Of course."

Dawn sighed, "We know about what the Council ordered Ani to do."

Obi-Wan frowned, "How may I ask you found out?"

Dawn shook her head, "Buffy. She and I do talk you know. She tells me everything. Not that she could hide it. Remember our bond, while weakened by our distance apart. I can still enter her thoughts, and she mine. Plus I talk to Padme. What else am I going to do, sit around and be bored?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Jedi Skywalker. This is Council business, while I don't agree with Buffy telling you. You should not have told Padme. Anyways it's only that-well, I've been a bit worried about him. I was hoping he may have talked to you."

"Why would he talk to me about-" Padme favored him with her best friendly-but-skeptical smile. "-Jedi business?"

"Senator-Padme. Please." He gazed into her eyes with nothing on his face but compassion and fatigued anxiety. "I am not blind, Padme. Though I have tried to be, for Anakin's sake. And for yours."

Dawn frowns and touches Padme's hand.

"What do you mean?" Padme asked as she smiled at Dawn for the reassuring gesture.

Obi-Wan nods, "Neither of you is very good at hiding feelings, either."

"Obi-Wan-"

"Anakin has loved you since the day you met him and Dawn, in that horrible junk shop on Tatooine. He's never even tried to hide it, though we do not speak of it. We . . . pretend that I don't know. And I was happy to, because it made him happy. You made him happy when nothing else ever truly could." Obi-Wan sighed, his brows drawing together.

Dawn nods, "No wonder you don't talk about it. The way the Order forbids attachments. The only reason Buffy and I are allowed ours is cause of our force bond. And even then anyone outside the Council doesn't know about it."

Obi-Wan nods, "Yes. Anyways you, Padme, skilled as you are on the Senate floor, cannot hide the light that comes to your eyes when anyone so much as mentions his name."

"I-" Padme lurched to her feet. "I can't, Obi-Wan, don't make me talk about this ..."

"I don't mean to hurt you, Padme. Nor even to make you uncomfortable. I'm not here to interrogate you; I have no interest in the details of your relationship." Obi-Wan said.

Padme turned away, walking just to be moving, barely conscious of passing through the door out onto the dawn-painted veranda. "Then why are you here?"

Obi-Wan followed her respectfully. "Anakin is under a great deal of pressure. He carries tremendous responsibilities for a man so young; when I was his age I still had some years to go as a Padawan. He is-changing. Quickly. And I have some anxiety about what he is changing into. It would be a ... very great mistake . . . were he to leave the Jedi Order."

Dawn blanched at Obi-Wan's mention of Anakin leaving the Jedi Order. She knew that Anakin had been thinking about doing that so he could be with Padme and their child.

Padme blinked as though he'd slapped her. "Why, that seems . . . unlikely, doesn't it? What about this prophecy the Jedi put so much faith in? Isn't he the chosen one?"

Obi-Wan nods, "Very probably. But I have scanned this prophecy; it says only that a chosen one will be born and bring balance to the Force; nowhere does it say he has to be a Jedi."

Padme blinked harder, fighting down a surge of desperate hope that left her breathless. "He doesn't have to-?"

"My Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, believed that it was the will of the Force that Anakin should be trained as a Jedi-and we all have a certain, oh, I suppose you could call it a Jedi-centric bias. It is a Jedi prophecy, after all." Obi-Wan said.

Padme nods, "But the will of the Force, isn't that what Jedi follow?"

Obi-Wan sighs, "Well, yes. But you must understand that not even the Jedi know all there is to be known about the Force; no mortal mind can. We speak of the will of the Force as someone ignorant of gravity might say it is the will of a river to flow to the ocean: it is a metaphor that describes our ignorance. The simple truth-if any truth is ever simple-is that we do not truly know what the will of the Force may be. We can never know. It is so far beyond our limited understanding that we can only surrender to its mystery."

"What does this have to do with Anakin?" Padme swallowed, but her voice stayed tight and thin. "And with me or Dawn?"

"I fear that some of his current . . . difficulty . . . has to do with your and Dawn's relationship."

If you only knew how much, Padme thought. "What do you want us to do?"

Obi-Wan looked down. "I cannot tell either of you what to do, Padme, Dawn. I can only ask both of you to consider Anakin's best interests. Padme, you know the two of you can never be together while he remains in the Order. Dawn your attachment to your brother is a hindrance to him. What if something happened to you? He would likely risk everything to come to your aid, even if it meant being expelled from the Order for defying a mandate from the Council."

Dawn looks down and nods. She knows Anakin would do that just as she would for him, Buffy or even Padme.

A bleak chill settled into Padme's chest. "Obi-Wan, I can't talk about this."

Obi-Wan sighs, "Very well. But remember that the Jedi are his family. The Order gives his life structure. It gives him a direction. You know how . . . undisciplined he can be."

Padme looks to Dawn, "Yes. Yes of course."

"If his true path leads him away from the Jedi, so be it. But please, for both of your sakes, tread carefully. Be sure. Some decisions can never be reversed." Obi-Wan said.

"Yes," Padme said slowly. Feelingly. "I know that too well."

Dawn knew it as well also. She remembered when Buffy had made the decision to jump off the tower. How Dawn had tried to talk Buffy out of it. How Buffy had been adamant about it being her instead of Dawn to close the portal.

Obi-Wan nodded as though he understood, though of course he did not understand at all. "We all do, these days."

A soft chiming came from within his robe. "Excuse me." he said, and turned aside, producing a comlink from an inner pocket. "Yes . . . ?"

A man's voice came thinly through the comlink, deep and clipped: "We are calling the Council into special session. We've located General Grievous!"

"Thank you, Master Windu," Obi-Wan said. "I'm on my way."

"Padme, Dawn," Obi-Wan said softly. Gently. Almost regretfully. "I will not tell the Council of this. Any of it. I'm very sorry to burden you with this, and I-I hope I haven't upset either of you too much. We have all been friends for so long . . . and I hope we always will be."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Padme said faintly. She couldn't look at him. From the corner of her eye she saw him incline his head respectfully and turn to go.

For a moment she said nothing, but as his footsteps receded Padme said, "Obi-Wan?" She heard him stop. "You love him, too, don't you?"

When he didn't answer, Padme turned to look. He stood motionless, frowning, in the middle of the expanse of buff carpeting.

"You do. You love him." Padme said.

Obi-Wan lowered his head. He looked very alone. "Please do what you can to help him," he said, and left.

Dawn sighed and looked at Padme. She walked over to Padme and pulled her friend, her sister-in-law, in to a hug as tears began to fall from her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10: Jedi Council & Padme

**Chapter 10: Jedi Council & Padme**

The holoscan of Utapau rotated silently in the center of the Jedi Council Chamber. Anakin had brought the holoprojector from the Chancellor's office.

The only Council members physically present, were Obi-Wan, Buffy, Anakin, Mace Windu and Agen Kolar. The Council reached a quorum by the projected holopresences of Ki-Adi-Mundi, en route to Mygeeto, Plo Koon on Cato Neimoidia, and Yoda, who was about to make planetfall on Kashyyyk.

"Why Utapau?" Mace Windu was saying. "A neutral system, of little strategic significance, and virtually no planetary defense force-"

"Perhaps that is itself the reason," Agen Kolar offered. "Easily taken, and their sinkhole-based culture can hide a tremendous number of droids from long-range scans." Ki-Adi-Mundi's frown wrinkled the whole length of his forehead. "Our agents on Utapau have made no report of this."

"They may be detained, or dead," Buffy said.

Mace Windu leaned toward Anakin, scowling. "How could the Chancellor have come by this information when we know nothing about it?"

"Clone Intelligence intercepted a partial message in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau," Anakin told him. "We've only managed to verify its authenticity within the past hour."

"Clone Intelligence," Mace said heavily, "reports to us."

"I beg your pardon, Master Windu, but that is no longer the case." Though Anakin's expression was perfectly solemn, Obi-Wan thought he could detect a hint of satisfaction in his young friend's voice. "I thought it had been already made clear. The constitutional amendment bringing the Jedi under the Chancellor's Office naturally includes troops commanded by Jedi. Palpatine is now Supreme Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic."

"Pointless it is, to squabble over jurisdiction," the image of Yoda said. "Act on this, we must."

"I believe we all agree on that," Anakin said briskly. "Let's move to the operational planning. The Chancellor has requested that I lead this mission, and so I-"

"The Council will decide this," Mace said sternly. "Not the Chancellor."

Buffy nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous, Grievous is. To face him, steady minds are needed-Masters, we should send."

"Given the strain on our current resources," Mace Windu said, "I recommend we send only one Jedi Master - Naberrie."

Anakin leaned forward, red climbing his cheeks. "He wasn't so successful the last time he met Grievous!"

"Anakin-" Buffy began.

Anakin sighed, "No offense, Master. I am only stating a fact."

"Oh no, not at all. You're quite right. Which is why I suggest Obi-Wan accompany me." Buffy said.

"Obi-Wan and Buffy, my choice is," Yoda said.

Ki-Adi-Mundi's image nodded. "I concur. Let's put it to a vote."

Mace Windu counted nods. "Six in favor."

He waited, looking at Anakin. "Further comment?"

After a moment, Mace shrugged. "It is unanimous."

Buffy, Anakin and Obi-Wan left the council chambers.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Anakin said.

Obi-Wan was frowning as he watched a clone deck crew load his blue-and-white starfighter and Buffy's Prometheus starfighter onto the assault cruiser's flight deck. "I'm sorry, Anakin. Did you say something?"

"You're going to need me on this one, Masters." Anakin said.

"It may be nothing but a wild bantha chase," Obi-Wan said. "Your job here is much more important, Anakin."

"I know: the Sith." The word left a bitter taste in Anakin's mouth. The Council's manipulation had a rank stench of politics on it. "I just-" Anakin shrugged helplessly, looking away. "I don't like you going off without me like this. It's a bad idea to split up the team. I mean, look what happened last time."

"Don't remind me." Obi-Wan said.

Buffy turned to Dawn and tried to smile. Dawn hugged her, "Come back?"

Buffy nodded, "Of course, Dawnie. You will watch over Padme won't you?"

Dawn nods, "With my life, Buffy. With my life."

Buffy nods, "Anyways I will be back before you know it. Two Masters against Grievous, shouldn't be much of a problem."

Obi-Wan chuckled and clapped Anakin on the shoulder. "Farewell, old friend."

"Master, wait." Anakin turned to face him fully. "Master . . . ," he said hesitantly, "I know I've . . . disappointed you in these past few days. I have been arrogant. I have . . . not been very appreciative of your training, and what's worse, of your friendship. I offer no excuse, Master. My frustration with the Council ... I know that none of it is your fault, and I apologize. For all of it. Your friendship means everything to me. As does yours, Buffy."

Obi-Wan gripped Anakin's mechanical hand, and with his other he squeezed Anakin's arm above the joining of flesh and metal. "You are wise and strong, Anakin. You are a credit to the Jedi Order, and you have far surpassed my humble efforts at instruction."

Anakin felt his own smile turn melancholy. "Just the other day, you were saying that my power is no credit to me."

"I'm not speaking of your power, Anakin, but of your heart. The greatness in you is a greatness of spirit. Courage and generosity, compassion and commitment. These are your virtues " Obi-Wan said gently. "You have done great things, and I am very proud of you."

Buffy nods in agreement, "Obi-Wan is correct, Anakin."

Anakin found he had nothing to say.

"Well." Obi-Wan looked down, chuckling, releasing Anakin's hand and arm. "I believe I hear General Grievous calling our name. Goodbye, old friend. Goodbye Dawn. May the Force be with you both."

All Anakin could offer in return was a reflexive echo. "May the Force be with you."

Dawn smiled, "Not goodbye. See you both later. I never want to say goodbye, ok?"

Buffy nods and hugs Dawn, "Then we will see you both later."

Buffy and Obi-Wan turned and boarded the ship.

Anakin and Dawn watched the ship depart. Dawn then returned to Padme's apartment as Anakin headed towards the Chancellor's office.

A couple hours later in Padme's apartment

"Anakin? What are you doing here? It's still the middle of the afternoon . . ." Padme asked.

Dawn stood next to Padme wondering the same thing.

Anakin looked up to find Padme and Dawn standing in the archway. Padme was in full Senatorial regalia.

Anakin called it her Politician Look, and he hated it. "Waiting for you," he replied, a little unsteadily. "What are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon?"

"I have a very important meeting in two hours," Padme said stiffly. "I left a document reader here this morning. Plus I wanted to check in on Dawn."

"This meeting is it with the Chancellor?" Anakin's voice came out low and harsh. "Is it his last meeting of the afternoon?"

"Y-yes, yes it is." Padme frowned, blinking. "Anakin, what's -"

"I have to be there, too." Anakin crumpled the flimsi and stuffed it back into his equipment belt. "I'm starting to look forward to it."

Dawn sensed something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger to it.

"Anakin, what is it?" She came toward him, one hand reaching for him. "What's wrong?"

Anakin lurched to his feet. "Obi-Wan's been here, hasn't he?"

"He came by this morning." Padme stopped as she looked towards Dawn. Her hand slowly lowered back to her side. "Why?"

"What did the three of you talk about?" Anakin asked.

Dawn blinked wondering how he knew that Obi-Wan had talked to both her and Padme.

Padme looked at Anakin and sighed, "Anakin, why are you acting like this?"

"What did the three of you talk about?" Anakin asked again.

Padme gazed steadily up at him, and on her face was only concern, shaded with growing hurt. "We talked about you."

Anakin sighed, "What about me?"

"He's worried about you, Ani. He says you're under a lot of stress." Dawn said.

Anakin frowned, "And he's not?"

"The way you've been acting, since you got back -" Padme said.

Dawn could sense Anakin was getting angry. "I'm not the one doing the acting. I'm not the one doing the pretending! I'm not the one sneaking in here in the morning!" Anakin said.

"No," Padme said with a smile. She reached up to lay the palm of her hand along the line of his jaw. "That's usually when you're sneaking out.''

Anakin sighed, "I'm sorry, Padme, Dawn. I'm sorry. I know I've been . . . difficult to deal with. I just-I feel like I'm in free fall. Free fall in the dark. I don't know which way is up. I don't know where I'll be when I land. Or crash."

Dawn sighed and strode next to Anakin pulling him into a hug, "It's alright, Ani."

Anakin smiled at Dawn, thankful that she was his sister. "I think it's going to be a crash."

Padme nods, "What has happened, my love? You've always been so sure of yourself. What's changed?"

"Nothing," Anakin said. "Everything. I don't know. It's all so screwed up, I can't even tell you. The Council doesn't trust me, Palpatine doesn't trust the Council. They're plotting against each other and both sides are pressuring me, and -"

Dawn sighed, "Surely that's only your imagination, Ani. The Jedi Council is the bedrock of the Republic."

"The bedrock of the Republic is democracy, Dawn something the Council doesn't much like when votes don't go their way." Anakin looked up at Padme. "All those who gain power are afraid to lose it, that's something you should remember. You and your friends in the Senate."

Padme took this without a blink. "But Obi-Wan is on the Council; he'd never participate in anything the least bit underhanded -"

Anakin wasn't so sure of that, "You think so? It doesn't matter. Obi-Wan and Buffy are on their way to Utapau."

"What is this really about?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know,'' Anakin said helplessly. "I don't know anything anymore. All I know is, I'm not the Jedi I should be. I'm not the man I should be."

"You're the man for me," Padme said, leaning toward him to kiss his cheek, but he pulled away.

Anakin sighed, "Neither of you understand. Nobody understands. I'm one of the most powerful Jedi alive, but it's not enough. It'll never be enough, not until -"

His voice trailed away, and his eyes went distant, and his memory burned with an alien birthing table, and blood, and screams.

Dawn frowned, "Understand? I understand more than you think, Ani. This is something only the Council knows. You're not the only one that has to fulfill a prophecy." She rubbed her stomach absently.

Anakin blinked at looked at Dawn. He wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Until what, my love?" Padme asked.

"Until I can save you," Anakin murmured.

Padme blinked and looked at Dawn, "Save me?"

Anakin nods, "From my nightmares."

Padme smiled sadly. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"I won't lose you, Padme. I can't." Anakin leaned forward and twisted to take both of Padme's hands, small and soft and deceptively strong and beyond precious, between his own. "I am still learning, Padme. I have found a key to truths deeper than the Jedi could ever teach me. I will become so powerful that I will keep you safe. Forever. I will."

Dawn was beginning to understand. It wasn't about the prophecy at all. It was about Padme. It was about what she had heard the night Padme and Anakin had woken her. The night she called Buffy who said she had a Slayer Dream about Padme dying in childbirth. Dawn murmured so softly no one heard her, "I am sorry, Ani. I am so sorry."

Dawn got up and left the room as Padme and Anakin watched wondering what was wrong with Dawn to make her leave like that.

After Anakin left, Padme came in to Dawn's room. "I need to leave in a couple minutes for my meeting with the Chancellor. Before I go Dawn, you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Dawn looked at Padme with tears in her eyes, "Buffy told me she saw you die in childbirth."

Padme's jaw just dropped. She knew Anakin had been dreaming about that very thing. But she hadn't known Buffy had as well.


	11. Chapter 11: Grievous

**Chapter 11: Grievous**

The Utapaun's glabrous scalp glistened with a sheen of moisture, and he walked with a staff that reminded Obi-Wan vaguely of Yoda's beloved gimer stick.

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan as they shared the same thought, they wondered if they had been expected.

"Greetings, young Jedi," the Utapaun said gravely in accented Basic. "I am Tion Medon, master of port administration for this place of peace. What business could bring a Jedi to our remote sanctuary?"

Obi-Wan sensed no malice in this being, and the Utapaun radiated a palpable aura of fear; Obi-Wan decided to tell the truth. "Our business is the war," he said.

"There is no war here, unless you have brought it with you " Medon replied, a mask of serenity concealing what the Force told Obi-Wan was anxiety verging on panic.

"Very well, then," Buffy said, playing along. "Please permit us to refuel here, and to use your city as a base to search the surrounding systems."

"For what do you search?" Medon asked.

"Even in the Outer Rim, you must have heard of General Grievous. It is he we seek, and his army of droids." Obi-Wan

Tion Medon took another step closer and leaned down to bring his face near Obi-Wan's ear. "He is here!" Medon whispered urgently. "We are hostages, we are being watched!"

Obi-Wan nodded matter-of-factly. "Thank you, Master Medon," he said in a thoroughly ordinary voice. "I am grateful for your hospitality, and will depart as soon as your crew refuels our starfighters."

"Listen to me, young Jedi!" Medon's whisper became even more intense. "You must depart in truth! I was ordered to reveal their presence, this is a trap!"

"Of course it is," Obi-Wan said equably.

"The tenth level-thousands of war droids-tens of thousands!" Medon stated.

"Have your people seek shelter." Obi-Wan and Buffy turned casually and scanned upward, counting levels. On the tenth, their eye found a spiny spheroid of metal. Obi-Wan nodded absently and spoke softly, as though to himself. "Geenine, take my starfighter back to the Vigilance. Instruct Commander Cody to inform Jedi Command on Coruscant that have made contact with General Grievous. We are engaging now. Cody is to attack in full force, as planned."

The astromech beeped acknowledgment from its forward socket, and Obi-Wan turned once more to Tion Medon. "Tell them we promised to file a report with Republic Intelligence. Tell them we really only wanted fuel enough to leave immediately."

"But-but what will you do?" Madon asked.

"If you have warriors," Obi-Wan said gravely, "now is the time."

Obi-Wan turned to Buffy who stood next to her ship, "Ceeseven activate protocol Summers 1, engage."

The landing deck canopy parted, and the Obi-Wan's jedi starfighter and Buffy's Prometheus starfighter blasted upward into the gale. From deep shadows at the rear of the deck, Obi-Wan and Buffy watched them go.

Obi-Wan looked at Buffy, "What is Summers 1?"

Buffy smiled, "Ceeseven will find someplace to hide and wait for my signal. That way if something should go wrong, we won't have to return to the landing pad to get a ship out of here."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Buffy smiled, "Agreed."

Obi-Wan nodded pulling out a pair of electrobinoculars, he examined that suspiciously shiny spheroid high above on the tenth level. "Then that's where we should be." He looked at Buffy, frowning.

Buffy laughed, "Never an air taxi when you need one . . ."

Obi-Wan and Buffy looked for a way to get up there when they heard several beasts nearby. They quickly acquired two of them and started making their way up through the levels.

Level after level they climbed. The city looked and felt deserted. Nothing moved save the shadows of clouds crossing the sinkhole's mouth far, far above; even the wind-power turbines had been locked down. The first sign of life they saw came on the tenth level itself; a handful of other dragonmounts lay basking in the midday sun, not far from the durasteel barnacle of the droid-control center. They rode right up to the control center's open archway, then jumped down from the saddle.

The archway led into a towering vaulted hall, its durasteel decking bare of furnishing. Deep within the shadows that gathered in the hall stood a cluster of five figures. Their faces were the color of bleached bone. Or ivory armorplast.

They looked like they might, just possibly, be waiting for them.

Obi-Wan looked at Buffy for a moment as he stretched out with his feelings. He could sense that the room before them was a storage hive, filled with combat droids. "I hope we can keep your promise to Dawn."

Buffy nodded in agreement having sensed the droids as well, "I do as well. I would really like to be able to watch my niece or nephew grows up."

The four bodyguard droids spread out in a shallow arc between Obi-Wan, Buffy, and Grievous, raising their electrostaffs. Obi-Wan and Buffy stopped a respectful distance away; Obi-Wan still carried bruises from one of those electrostaffs, and he felt no particular urge to add to his collection.

"General Grievous," Obi-Wan said, "you're under arrest."

Grievous laughed, "Kenobi. Don't tell me, let me guess: this is the part where you give me the chance to surrender."

"It can be," Obi-Wan allowed equably. "Or, if you like, it can be the part where we dismantle your exoskeleton and ship you back to Coruscant in a cargo hopper."

"I'll take option three." Grievous lifted his hand, and the bodyguards moved to box Obi-Wan and Buffy between them. "That's the one where I watch you die."

Obi-Wan and Buffy never moved.

"I'm sorry, was I not clear?" Obi-Wan said. "There is no option three.'"

Buffy laughed, "He is quite correct. Personally I like option two myself. Of course that means I might have to release the Slayer. You met her, remember. It's why you couldn't defeat me before."

Grievous shook his head. "Do the two of you never tire of this pathetic banter?"

"I rarely tire at all," Obi-Wan said mildly, "and I have no better way to pass the time while I wait for you to either decide to surrender, or choose to die."

"That choice was made long before I ever met either of you.'''' Grievous turned away. "Kill them."

Buffy smiled, "Go after Grievous. I will deal with his pathetic bodyguards."

Obi-Wan nodded as Buffy leapt at the bodyguards. As she landed she fell into a roll; that roll carried her lightsaber through a crisp arc that severed the leg of one of the bodyguards, and as the Force brought Buffy back to her feet, the Force also nudged the crippled bodyguard to topple sideways into the path of the blade and sent it clanging to the floor in two smoking, sparking pieces.

The remaining three pressed the attack, but more cautiously; their weapons were longer than hers, and they struck from beyond the reach of her blade.

Buffy smiled as she back flipped and pressed the attack on the remaining droids. None were a match for her Slayer enhanced speed. She made short work of them as she smiled, "So what else you got Grievous?"

"Keep firing!" Grievous roared to the spider droids that Flanked him. "Blast them!"

Buffy watched as Obi-Wan made short work of the spider droids.

"General," Obi-Wan said with blandly polite smile as though unexpectedly greeting, on the street, someone he privately disliked. "Our offer is still open."

Droid guns throughout the control center fell silent; Obi-Wan stood so close to Grievous that the general was in the line of fire.

Buffy strode next to Obi-Wan, "I suggest you take him up on his offer, General. You really don't want option two."

Grievous threw back his cloak imperiously. "Do you believe that I would surrender to you now?"

"We are still willing to take you alive." Obi-Wan's nod took in the smoking, sparking wreckage that filled the control center. "So far, no one has been hurt."

Grievous tilted his head so that he could squint down into Obi-Wan's face. "I have thousands of troops. You cannot defeat them all."

Obi-Wan smirked, "I don't have to."

"This is your chance to surrender, General Kenobi, General Naberrie." Grievous swept a duranium hand toward the sinkhole-city behind him. "Pau City is in my grip; lay down your blade, or I will squeeze . . . until this entire sinkhole brims over with innocent blood."

"That's not what it's about to brim with," Buffy said. "You should pay more attention to the weather."

Yellow eyes narrowed behind a mask of armorplast. "What?"

"Have a look outside." Buffy pointed his lightsaber toward the archway. "It's about to start raining clones."

Grievous said again, turning to look, "What?"

A shadow had passed over the sun as though one of the towering thunderheads on the horizon had caught a stray current in the hyperwinds and settled above Pau City. But it wasn't a cloud. It was the Vigilance.

Grievous turned back to Obi-Wan and Buffy. He lowered his head like an angry bantha, yellow glare fixed on the Jedi Master. "To the death, then."

Obi-Wan sighed. "If you insist."

Buffy smiled, "This should be fun."

Grievous cast back his cloak, revealing the four lightsabers pocketed there. He stepped back, spreading wide his duranium arms. "You will not be the first Jedi I have killed, nor will you be the last."

Buffy laughed, "Cocky much? Really you don't stand a chance."

Obi-Wan's only reply was to subtly shift the angle of his lightsaber up and forward.

The general's wide-spread arms now split along their lengths, dividing in half-even his hands split in half. Now he had four arms. And four hands. And each hand took a lightsaber as his cloak dropped to the floor.

They snarled to life and Grievous spun all four of them in a flourishing velocity so fast and so seamlessly integrated that he seemed to stand within a pulsing sphere of blue and green energy.

"Come on, then, Kenobi! Naberrie! Come for me!" he said. "I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Lord Tyranus himself."

"Do you mean Count Dooku? What a curious coincidence," Obi-Wan said with a deceptively pleasant smile. "I trained the man who killed him."

With a convulsive snarl, Grievous lunged.

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan as neither of them moved. It was now that she wished Dawn was here. For the first time since she jumped off the tower she actually was afraid she might not make it. She reached out with her mind knowing even at this distance she would not feel Dawn's presence, still she said a silent goodbye.

The electrodrivers powering Grievous's mechanical arms let each of the four attack thrice in a single second; integrated by combat algorithms in the General's electronic network of peripheral processors, each of the twelve strikes per second came from a different angle with different speed and intensity, an unpredictably broken rhythm of slashes, chops, and stabs of which every single one could take Obi-Wan or Buffy's life. Not one touched them.

Grievous, snarling fury, ramped up the intensity and velocity of his attacks-sixteen per second, eighteen-until finally, at twenty strikes per second, he overloaded Obi-Wan's defense. So Obi-Wan used his defense to attack. A subtle shift in the angle of a single parry brought Obi-Wan's blade in contact not with the blade of the oncoming lightsaber, but with the handgrip. -slice- leaving nothing but a stump where the lightsaber had been.

Buffy smiled as she closed her eyes for a split second. When she opened them, Obi-Wan noticed something was different. Her eyes had a vacant look, and then he knew - she had released the Slayer. Obi-Wan quickly backed up as Buffy pressed the attack pushing Grievous back much like she had on his command ship.

Obi-Wan smiled, "General might I suggest you quit while you're ahead?"

Buffy pressed the attack and suddenly sliced through a second wrist.

Grievous looked down at the blade-sliced hunks of metal that were all he had left of two of his hands, then up at Buffy and Obi-Wan, then down at his hands again, and then he seemed to suddenly remember that he had an urgent appointment somewhere else.

Obi-Wan stepped up next to Buffy placing a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she snapped out of it and nodded, "Remind me never to do that again."

Obi-Wan smiled, "Promise. Shall we go finish this?"

Buffy nods as they take off after Grievous.

Grievous mounts his wheel bike and takes off. As luck would have it two lizard-like beasts, the two Obi-Wan and Buffy had rode to level 10 came charging up to them. They mounted and gave chase.

At one stage of the chase, Buffy watched as Obi-Wan lost his lightsaber. She laughed as she thought about an incident a couple years ago where Obi-Wan had been lecturing Anakin about losing his.

Buffy wasn't sure how long it had taken, but eventually they found themselves standing on a landing platform next to Grievous's starfighter.

Obi-Wan had scooped up one of Grievous bodyguards electrostaffs.

Grievous snarled, "Do you think I am foolish enough to arm my bodyguards with weapons that can actually hurt me?"

Buffy smiled, "Maybe, maybe not. But I still have my lightsaber. By the way Obi-Wan remind me later to talk to you about a losing a lightsaber."

Obi-Wan shook his head as he silently laughed at her joke.

Buffy pressed the attack again and Grievous parried her. She could feel letting the Slayer out had tired her. And that was when he took advantage and lunged for the killing blow, only to be blocked by the electrostaff in Obi-Wan's hands.

Buffy fell backwards from the assault. "I'm sorry, Dawnie," She said as she slipped in to unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter 12: Falling

**Chapter 12: Falling**

Buffy slowly regain consciousness to find Obi-Wan carrying her in his arms. "What happened?"

Obi-Wan smiled, "Glad to see you're awake. Grievous is dead."

Buffy smiled as she felt Obi-Wan stop walking. She looked to see Commander Cody.

"Commander Cody," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "Did you contact Coruscant with the news of

the general's death?"

The clone commander snapped to attention and delivered a crisp salute. "As ordered, sir. Erm, sir?" Cody looked at Buffy in Obi-Wan's arms "Are you both all right, sir? Do you need a medic?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, "No we don't need a medic, thank you though."

Commander Cody nods and holds up Obi-Wan's lightsaber, "I suppose you'll be wanting this. I believe you dropped it, sir."

Obi-Wan nods, "Ah. Ah, yes." He looks at Buffy, "Not a word."

Buffy laughed, "Obi-Wan you wouldn't mind setting me down. We still have work to do you know?"

Obi-Wan nodded and they made their way towards the remaining battle droids.

Buffy's Slayer hearing picked up the sounds of a comlink behind them.

"It is time," the holoscan said. "Execute Order Sixty-Six."

Cody responded as he had been trained since before he'd even awakened in his creche-school. "It will be done, my lord."

Buffy frowned as she turned to Obi-Wan, "We have to get out of here now."

Obi-Wan frowned, "Why?"

Buffy looked behind her, "The Clones no longer belong to the Republic. They belong to the Sith Lord. I believe they just received an order to execute us."

Just as she said that they could hear the sounds of weapons safeties being clicked off, and they jumped as the Clones opened fire. Using the Force to slow their descent they dove for the water below.

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan before pulling out her comlink, "Ceeseven initiate Summers 1 retrieval." The droid beeped back at her through the comlink.

On Coruscant; Anakin landed his jedi starfighter on the private landing pad of Padme's apartment.

Padme and Dawn had spent the better part of the predawn hours simply staring over the city, toward the plume of smoke that rose from the Jedi Temple; now, at last, she might get some answers.

C-3PO looked at Anakin's starfighter and went straight to Padme and Dawn. "My ladies," he called to Padme and Dawn, where they stood by the broad window. "On the veranda. A Jedi starfighter," he forced out. "Has docked, my lady."

Padme blinked, and then rushed toward the bedroom door as Dawn followed not far behind. "Are you all right? I heard there was an attack on the Jedi Temple . . . you can see the smoke from here."

Anakin nods, "I'm fine. I'm fine. I came to see if both of you and the babies are safe."

Padme nods, "Captain Typho's here, we're safe. What's happening?"

Anakin sighs, "The situation is not good. The Jedi have tried to overthrow the Republic . . ."

Dawn shakes her head, "Ani, that's not possible. Why would they do such a thing?"

Padme nods in agreement, "I can't believe that! "

Anakin frowns, "I couldn't either at first, but it's true. I saw Master Windu attempt to assassinate the Chancellor myself."

Dawn's jaw drops.

Padme looks at Dawn and hugs her, "Anakin, what are you going to do?"

Anakin looks down for a moment and then walks away from Padme. "I will not betray the Republic . . . my loyalties lie with the Chancellor and with the Senate . . . and with the both of you." Anakin turns and walks back to Padme.

Padme nods, "What about Obi-Wan?"

Dawn sighs, "Or Buffy?"

Anakin nods, "I don't know . . . Many Jedi have been killed. We can only hope that they've remained loyal to the Chancellor."

Dawn frowned, "You better not be insinuating what I think your insinuating, dear brother. If you're saying she's dead you might as well kill me now."

Anakin sighs as he looks at Dawn, "For your sake I hope she is not."

Padme nods, "How could this have happened? "

Anakin shakes his head, "The Republic is unstable, Padme. The Jedi aren't the only ones trying to take advantage of the situation. There are also traitors in the Senate."

Padme stands and reacts ever so slightly. "What are you saying?"

"You need to distance yourself from your friends in the Senate. The Chancellor said they will be dealt with when this conflict is over." Anakin stated.

Dawn can't believe what she is hearing.

Padme nods, "What if they start an inquisition? I've opposed this war. What will you do if I become a suspect? Or even worse yet, Dawn by association as she has been living some time with me now."

Anakin frowns, "That won't happen. I won't let it. I won't let anything happen to either of you."

Padme sighs, "Oh, Anakin, I'm afraid."

Anakin takes Padme in his arms. "Have faith, my love. My sister. Everything will soon be set right. The Chancellor has given me a very important mission. The Separatists have gathered in the Mustafar system. I'm going there to end this war. Wait for me until I return . . . things will be different, I promise."

Anakin kisses Padme and then Dawn. "Please, wait for me."

Padme nods, "I will."

Dawn nods in agreement, silently she says for now.

Anakin gets into his fighter and takes off.

Padme and Dawn are left alone on the veranda. Padme and Dawn each start to cry.

Threepio comes up to them. "My Ladies, is there anything I might do?"

Padme shakes her head, "No thank you, Threepio."

Threepio nods, "A snack, perhaps?"

Dawn sighs through her tears, "No thank you, Threepio. Right now we just want to be alone for a bit."

Threepio nods and moves off, "I feel so helpless."

In Space above Utapau.

Buffy looks back over her shoulder, "See if you can reach anyone while I get her ready for lightspeed."

Obi-Wan nods as he activates the comlink in Buffy's starfighter. He punches in several coordinates and codes. A beeping sound is heard. It quickly speeds up until it is a steady tone. Obi-Wan speaks into the comlink. "Emergency Code Nine Thirteen ... I have no contact on any frequency. Are there any Jedi out there? . . . anywhere . . . "

A burst of static is heard and a fuzzy hologram image appears, ". . . Kenobi . . . "

Obi-Wan tries to clear up the transmission, "I've locked on. Repeat."

The fuzzy hologram image comes into focus, and it is Bail Organa, "Master Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan lets out a sigh of relief, "Senator Organa! Mine and Buffy's Clone Troops turned on us ... We need help."

Bail Organa nods, "We have just rescued Master Yoda. It appears this ambush has happened everywhere. We're sending you our coordinates."

Buffy nods, "Coordinates received, Senator. Ceeseven prepare for jump to lightspeed on my mark… Mark."

The starfighter jumps in to hyperspace. A couple hours later Buffy lands the starfighter on Bail's ship.

The door to the main hallway slides open. Obi-Wan and Buffy enters and is greeted by Yoda and Bail Organa. The four of them walk down the hallway.

Bail smiles, "You made it."

Yoda nods, "Master Kenobi, Master Naberrie dark times are these. Good to see you both. it is."

Obi-Wan looks to Yoda, "You were attacked by your Clones, also?"

Yoda sighs, "With the help of the Wookiees, barely escape, I did."

Buffy shakes her head, "How many other Jedi managed to survive?"

Yoda looks down, "Heard from no one, have we."

Bail nods, "I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi Temple. That's why I went looking for Yoda."

Buffy looks to Bail, "What of Padme? My sister, Dawn, was staying with her."

Bail nods, "I believe they are both fine. Last I heard your sister, Dawn, was safe at Padme's apartment."

Obi-Wan nods wanting comfort Buffy, "Have we had any contact from the Temple?"

Yoda sighs, "Received a coded retreat message, we have."

Bail frowns, "It requests all Jedi to return to the Temple. It says that the war is over . . ."

Buffy nods, "Well, then we must go back! If there are other stragglers, they will fall into the trap and be killed. Plus I have to find Dawnie, make sure she is alright."

Bail looks at Buffy with sympathy, "It's too dangerous to return."

Yoda nods, "Suggest dismantling the coded signal, do you?"

Obi-Wan looks to Buffy who nods, "Yes, Master. There is too much at stake here, and we need a clearer picture of what has happened."

Yoda nods in agreement, "I agree. In a dark place we find ourselves ... a little more knowledge might light our way."

The Republic Cruiser heads toward Coruscant. Obi-Wan, Bail, Yoda, Buffy and two pilots sit in the cockpit.

Pilot looks back at Bail, "We are receiving a message from the Chancellor's office, sir."

Bail nods, "Send it through."

Pilot nods, "Yes, sir."

The Pilot pushes some buttons. Mas Amedda appears on screen. "Senator Organa . . . the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic requests your presence at a special session of Congress."

Bail nods, "Tell the Chancellor I will be there."

"Very well. He will be expecting you." Mas Amedda says.

Mas Amedda 's image disappears from the screen.

Bail frowns, "It could be a trap."

Obi-Wan nods, "No, I don't think so. The Chancellor will not be able to control the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact."

Buffy isn't sure Obi-Wan is correct about that.

"If a special session of Congress there is, easier for us to enter the Jedi Temple it will be." Yoda says.


	13. Chapter 13: Truth

**Chapter 13: Truth**

Clones pelted off into the mist. Behind them, at the spill of bodies they'd been working on, fog and gloom gave birth to a pair of Jedi Masters. Obi-Wan stepped over white-armored bodies to kneel beside blaster-burned corpses of children. Tears flowed freely down tracks that hadn't had a chance to dry since he'd first entered the Temple. "Not even the younglings survived. It looks like they made a stand here."

Buffy shook her head, "A sad day this is.

Yoda's face creased with ancient sadness. "Or trying to flee they were, with some turning back to slow the pursuit."

Obi-Wan turned to another body, an older one, a Jedi fully mature and beyond. Grief punched a gasp from his chest. "Master Yoda, it's the Troll . . ."

Yoda looked over and nodded bleakly. "Abandon his young students, Cin Drallig would not."

Obi-Wan sank to his knees beside the fallen Jedi. "He was my lightsaber instructor . . ."

Buffy nods, "And mine…"

"And his, was I," Yoda said. "Cripple us, grief will, if let it we do."

Buffy looks at Yoda and nods, "Of course. But grieve we should when this is over."

Yoda nods.

Obi-Wan sighs, "I know. But . . . it's one thing to know a friend is dead, Master Yoda. It's another to find his body . . ."

"Yes." Yoda moved closer. With his gimer stick, he pointed at a bloodless gash in Drallig's shoulder that had cloven deep into his chest. "Yes, it is. See this, do you? This wound, no blaster could make."

An icy void opened in Obi-Wan's heart. It swallowed his pain and his grief, leaving behind a precariously empty calm. He whispered, "A lightsaber?"

"Business with the recall beacon, have we still." Yoda pointed with his stick at figures winding toward them among the trees and pools. "Returning, the clones are."

Obi-Wan rose. "I will learn who did this."

"Learn?" Yoda shook his head sadly.

In the main holocomm center of the Jedi Temple, high atop the central spire, Obi-Wan used the Force to reach deep within the shell of the recall beacon's mechanism, subtly altering the pulse calibration to flip the signal from come home to run and hide. Done without any visible alteration, it would take the troopers quite a while to detect the recalibration, and longer still to reset it. This was all that could be done for any surviving Jedi: a warning, to give them a fighting chance.

Obi-Wan and Buffy turned from the recall beacon to the internal security scans.

They both wanted to find out exactly what he was warning them against.

"Do this not," Yoda said. "Leave we must, before discovered we are."

"I have to see it," Obi-Wan said grimly. "Like I said downstairs: knowing is one thing. Seeing is another."

Buffy nods in agreement. "Something tells me this is important, Master Yoda."

Yoda sighs, "Seeing will only cause you pain."

"Then it is pain that I have earned. I won't hide from it." Obi-Wan keyed a code that brought up a holoscan of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. "I am not afraid."

Yoda's eyes narrowed to green-gold slits. "You should be."

Stone-faced, Obi-Wan watched younglings run into the room, fleeing a storm of blasterfire; he watched Cin Drallig and a pair of teenage Padawans.

He watched a lightsaber blade flick into the shot, cutting down first one Padawan, then the other. He watched the brisk stride of a caped figure who hacked through Drallig's shoulder, then stood aside as the old Troll fell dying to let the rest of the clones blast the children to shreds.

Neither Obi-Wan or Buffy's expression flickered. They watched as the caped man turned to meet a cloaked figure behind him. Neither Buffy nor Obi-Wan could believe what they were seeing.

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan and then Yoda, "How could Anakin do this?"

"The traitors have been destroyed, Lord Sidious. And the archives are secured. Our ancient holocrons are again in the hands of the Sith." Anakin said in to a comlink.

"Good . . . good . . . Together, we shall master every secret of the Force." The Sith Lord purred like a contented rancor. "You have done well, my new apprentice. Do you feel your power growing?"

"Yes, my Master."

"Lord Vader, your skills are unmatched by any Sith before you. Go forth, my boy. Go forth, and bring peace to our Empire."

Fumbling nervelessly, Obi-Wan somehow managed to shut down the holoscan. He leaned on the console, but his arms would not support him; they buckled and he twisted to the floor.

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan and knew what he felt. Then her thoughts turned to Dawn, "I have to see, Dawn."

Yoda was as sympathetic as the root of a wroshyr tree. "Warned, you both were."

Obi-Wan said, "I should have let them shoot me . . ."

Yoda blinked, "What?"

"No. That was already too late-it was already too late at Geonosis. The Zabrak, on Naboo I should have died there . . . before I ever brought him here."

"Stop this, you will!" Yoda gave him a stick-jab in the ribs sharp enough to straighten him up. "Make a Jedi fall, one cannot; beyond even Lord Sidious, this is. Chose this, Skywalker did."

Obi-Wan lowered his head. "And I'm afraid I might know why."

"Why? Why matters not. There is no why. There is only a Lord of the Sith, and his apprentice. Two Sith." Yoda leaned close. "And three Jedi."

Buffy shook her head, "Three Sith, Glory is still alive. And Four Jedi. Dawn still lives, I can feel her. She maybe pregnant, but she is still a Jedi."

Obi-Wan nodded, but he still couldn't meet the gaze of the ancient Master. "I'll take Palpatine."

"Strong enough to face Lord Sidious, you will never be. Die you will, and painfully."

Buffy nods, "I will face him then."

Yoda shakes his head, "No. Without Dawn and your bond you are not strong enough either. To Dawn you must go, then with Obi-Wan."

"Don't make me kill Anakin," he said. "He's like my brother, Master."

"The boy you trained, gone he is-twisted by the dark side. Consumed by Darth Vader. Out of this misery, you must put him. To visit our new Emperor, my job will be."

Now Obi-Wan did face him. "Palpatine faced Mace and Agen and Kit and Saesee-four of the greatest swordsmen our Order has ever produced. By himself. Even both of us together wouldn't have a chance."

"True," Yoda said. "But all of us apart, a chance we might create . . ."

Buffy shakes her head as she knows it won't be enough. She knows the prophecy surrounding her and Dawn is coming true.

Buffy and Obi-Wan made their way to Padme's apartment.

"Master Kenobi! Master Naberrie!" C-3PO had long ago been given detailed and quite specific instructions on the procedure for dealing with the unexpected arrival of furtive Jedi. He instantly deactivated the security curtain and beckoned. "Come inside, quickly. You may be seen."

As C-3PO swiftly ushered him into the sitting room, Obi-Wan asked, "Has Anakin been here?"

"Yes," C-3PO said reluctantly. "He arrived shortly after he and the army saved the Republic from the Jedi Rebellion-" Obi-Wan glared at C-3PO. "I, ah, I should-" C-3PO stammered, backing away. "I'll just go get the Senator and Mistress Dawn, shall I? Mistress Padme's been lying down-after the Grand Convocation this morning, she didn't feel entirely well, and so-"

Padme and Dawn appeared at the top of the curving stairway, belting a soft robe over her dressing gown, and C-3PO decided his most appropriate course of action would be to discreetly withdraw.

Padme smiles, "Master Kenobi . . . Buffy…" She embraces Obi-Wan. "Oh, Obi-Wan, Buffy, thank goodness . . . you're alive.

Dawn smiles and embraces Buffy, "I was so worried, Buffy. They were saying you were dead."

Buffy ran her fingers through Dawn's hair, "It's ok Dawnie, I'm here now. I told you I would come back, didn't I?"

Dawn smiles and nods.

Obi-Wan looks at the sisters and nods before returning his attention to Padme, "The Republic has fallen. Padme . . . Dawn … The Jedi Order is no more . . . "

Padme nods, "We know, it's hard to believe everything to which we've dedicated our lives is gone."

Obi-Wan sighs, "I believe we have been part of a plot hundreds of years in the making."

"The Senate is still intact, there is some hope. " Padme said.

Buffy sighs, "No. Padme . . . It's over . . . The Sith now rule the galaxy as they did before the Republic."

Padme looks to Buffy and shakes her head, "The Sith!?"

Dawn stares at Buffy, "The prophecy is coming true isn't it?"

Obi-Wan and Padme look to Buffy and Dawn, "What prophecy?" Obi-Wan asks.

Buffy sighs, "Two shall come and trained by the Jedi. They will come and be oldest of the Padawans of the age in which they live. They shall be descendants of a Jedi. One shall be born, and the other created through magic to be her sister. They shall remake the Order during the dark times when the Sith rule the galaxy. One shall have a daughter and that daughter will lead the Jedi in to the future."

Obi-Wan blinks having heard the prophecy before but not the line about the Sith ruling the galaxy. "You deliberately didn't tell the Council about the line about the Sith ruling the galaxy?"

Buffy nods, "Yes. I had hoped we could prevent it. I should have known that we couldn't since the rest of the prophecy was coming true. Dawn's unborn child is the one spoken of in the last line of the prophecy."

Obi-Wan sighs and nods, "We're here looking for Anakin . . . When was the last time either of you saw him?

Padme looks to Dawn who nods, "Yesterday."

Buffy sighs, "And do you know where he is now?"

Padme looks down, "No."

Buffy looks to Dawn, "You do don't you?"

Dawn shakes her head.

Obi-Wan sighs, "Padme, Dawn, we need your help. He's in grave danger."

Padme blinks, "From the Sith?"

Buffy shakes her head, "From himself . . . Padme, Dawn, Anakin has turned to the dark side."

Dawn looks at Padme obviously shaken, "You're wrong! How could you even say that? How could you think that of Ani, Buffy?"

Obi-Wan nods, "We have seen a security hologram of him killing younglings."

Padme shakes her head, "Not Anakin! He couldn't!"

Buffy strides over to Padme pulling her in to an embrace, "I'm sorry, Padme. He was deceived by a lie. We all were. It appears that the Chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for. After the death of Count Dooku, Anakin became his new apprentice."

Dawn shakes her head and looks at Padme."I don't believe you ... I can't." Padme said.

Obi-Wan looks to Buffy, "Padme, Dawn, we must find him."

Padme shakes her head, "You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

Obi-Wan sighs, "He has become a very great threat."

As Padme moves to sit down, she reveals her pregnancy to Obi-Wan, "I can't . . ."

Obi-Wan looks to Buffy and Dawn and see they are not in the least surprised. "Anakin is the father, isn't he? And you two knew?"

Padme looks away. Buffy and Dawn nods.

Obi-Wan sighs, "I'm so sorry."

Obi-wan turns and leaves. Buffy looks to Padme conflicted on what she should do, go with Obi-Wan or stay with Padme and Dawn. Finally she decides to stay with Padme and Dawn.

Threepio comes back in to the room, Padme looks at the japor snippet that hangs from her neck. "Threepio? Do you know what this is?"

"Why, yes, my lady," the protocol droid replied, bemused but happy, as always, to be of service. "It's a snippet of japor. Younglings on Tatooine carve tribal runes into them to make amulets; they are supposed by superstitious folk to bring good fortune and protect one from harm, and sometimes are thought to be love charms. I must say, my lady, I'm quite surprised you've forgotten, seeing as how you've worn that one ever since it was given to you so many years ago by Master An-"

"I hadn't forgotten what it was, Threepio," Padme said distantly. "Thank you. I was . . . reminding myself of the boy who gave it to me."

Dawn sighs, "Threepio, contact Captain Typho. Have him ready Padme's skiff."

Buffy blinked, "You do know where Anakin is."

Dawn nods.

"My lady? Are you going somewhere?" Threepio said.

"We are," Padme said. "We're going to Mustafar. Buffy I know that once we get there you may want to bring Anakin in to custody. Let me try and get through to him first."

Buffy nods, "For you and Dawn I will do that. But only cause I don't want you to lose your husband and my sister to lose her brother."

Short time later…. From the shadows beneath the mirror-polished skiff's landing ramp,

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched Captain Typho try to talk Padme, Dawn and Buffy out of going.

"My lady," the Naboo security chief protested, "at least let me come with you-"

"Thank you, Captain, but there's no need," Padme said distantly. "The war's over, and . . . this is a personal errand. Plus I have General Naberrie with me. And, Captain? It must remain personal, do you understand? You know nothing of my leaving, nor where I am bound, nor when I can be expected to return."

"As you wish, my lady," Typho said with a reluctant bow. "But I strongly disagree with this decision." He turns to Buffy, "Welcome back to the Naboo Royal Militia, General. Take care of her."

Buffy nods, "I will, Captain. And we'll be fine."

After Typho finally climbed into his speeder and took off, Padme, Buffy, Dawn and Threepio boarded the skiff. Padme wasted no time at all; the skiff's repulsorlifts engaged before the landing ramp had even retracted.

Obi-Wan had to jump for it. He swung inside just as the hatch sealed itself and the gleaming starship leapt for the sky.


	14. Chapter 14: Nearing the End

**Chapter 14: Nearing the End**

Buffy looked to Dawn who nodded as they felt Obi-Wan's presence on the ship. They decided not to tell Padme he was there, just in case.

As they landed on Mustafar, Padme came to Buffy, "We don't know how he will react to your presence Buffy. I'm sure he won't do anything bad to me or Dawn… He loves us.

Padme stumbled down the landing ramp into Anakin's arms. Dawn wasn't very far behind.

"Anakin, my Anakin ..." Padme shivered against his chest. "I've been so frightened . . ."

"Shh. Shh, it's all right." Anakin stroked Padme's hair until her trembling began to fade, then he cupped her chin and gently raised her face to look into his eyes. "You never need to worry about me. Didn't you understand? No one can hurt me. No one will ever hurt either of us."

"It wasn't that, my love, it was - oh, Anakin, he said such terrible things about you!" Padme said.

Anakin smiled down at her. "About me? Who would want to say bad things about me?" He chuckled. "Who would dare?"

"Obi-Wan." Dawn wiped tears from her cheeks. "He said - he told us you turned to the dark side, that you murdered Jedi . . . even younglings ..."

Anakin said, "Obi-Wan's alive?" His voice had dropped an octave, and had gone colder than the chills that were spreading from the base of Padme's spine.

"Y-yes-he, he said they were, he and Buffy, looking for you ..."

"Did you tell them where I am?" Anakin asked.

"Just Buffy, Anakin! Buffy came with us cause she is worried for Dawn. Obi-Wan wants to kill you. I didn't tell him anything - I wouldn't!"

On the ship Buffy stood next to the storage area Obi-Wan was hiding in, "Obi-Wan you can come out. I know you're here."

Obi-Wan stepped out of the storage area, "Buffy. He must be stopped."

Buffy sighed, "Your right and your wrong. He needs to be stopped, yes. But there is still good in him, I can feel it. Plus I won't let you kill him for either Padme or Dawn's sake. He after all is their family. So you have to promise me you won't kill him."

Obi-Wan frowned, "Buffy –"

Buffy shook her head, "Promise!"

Obi-Wan nodded, "I promise. I don't know if I can keep it, but I will try."

Buffy nods, "That's all you can do is try. "

Outside the ship hidden in the shadows Glory watched the trio as they talked. She smiled when she heard Buffy had come with them.

Anakin looked at Dawn and nodded. He knew he would never intentionally hurt Dawn. And he knew that by killing Buffy he would be hurting Dawn. "Too bad."

Padme blinked "Anakin, what-"

"He's a traitor, Padme. He's an enemy of the state. He has to die." Anakin said.

"Stop it," Padme said. "Stop talking like that . . . you're frightening me!"

"You're not the one who needs to be afraid." Anakin said.

"It's like-it's like-" Padme nodded as tears brimmed again. "I don't even know who you are anymore ..."

"I'm the man who loves you, both of you," Anakin said, but he said it through clenched teeth. "I'm the man who would do anything to protect you. Everything I have done, I have done for both of you."

"Anakin ..." Horror squeezed Padme's voice down to a whisper: small, and fragile, and very young. ". . . what have you done?"

And Padme prayed that Anakin wouldn't actually answer. "What I have done is bring peace to the Republic."

"The Republic is dead," Dawn whispered. "You killed it. You and Palpatine."

Anakin nods, "It needed to die."

"Anakin, can't we just . . .go? Please. Let's leave. Together. The four of us; you, me Dawn and Buffy. Today. Now. Before you - before something happens -" Padme said.

Anakin shakes his head, "Nothing will happen. Nothing can happen. Let Palpatine call himself Emperor. Let him. He can do the dirty work, all the messy, brutal oppression it'll take to unite the galaxy forever- unite it against him. He'll make himself into the most hated man in history. And when the time is right, we'll throw him down-"

Dawn looked at Padme, shaking her head. "Anakin, stop -"

Anakin ignores Dawn, "Don't you see? We'll be heroes. The whole galaxy will love us, and we will rule. Together."

Padme shakes her head, "Please stop-Anakin, please, stop, I can't stand it . . ."

Anakin wasn't listening to Padme or Dawn. He wasn't looking at them. He was looking past Padme's shoulder. Feral joy burned from his eyes, and his face was no longer human at Buffy and Obi-Wan. "You…"

Glory smiled and stepped out of the shadows, "About time you showed up Slayer." She reached out with Force and grabbed Dawn and closed her fist.

"Can't breathe. Buffy, help!" Dawn said.

Obi-Wan nodded, "Padme. Move away from him."

"Obi-Wan?" Padme whirled. Obi-Wan and Buffy were on the landing ramp.

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan, "Remember your promise." She turned and leapt at Glory causing her to let Dawn go.

Dawn slipped to the landing pad unconscious. Buffy reached out with her feelings and found Dawn was still alive.

"No!" Padme said.

"You," growled a voice that should have been her loves – Anakin's.

Anakin shook his head, "You brought him here . . ."

Padme turned back, and now he was looking at her. His eyes were full of flame. "Anakin?"

"Padme, move away." There was an urgency in Obi-Wan's voice that sounded closer to fear than Padme had ever heard from him. "He's not who you think he is. He will harm you."

Anakin's lips peeled off his teeth. "I would thank you for this, if it were a gift of love."

Trembling, shaking her head, Padme began to back away. "No, Anakin-no . . ."

Anakin sighed, "Palpatine was right. Sometimes it is the closest who cannot see. I loved you too much, Padme." Anakin made a fist, and she couldn't breathe. "I loved you too much to see you! To see what you are!"

"Let her go, Anakin." Obi-Wan said.

Anakin's answer was a predator's snarl, over the body of its prey. "You will not take her from me!"

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Let her go!"

"Never!" Anakin replied.

Buffy looked at Glory and smiled, "Are you ready for this? This time we end it."

Glory nodded, "I have been ready since our last battle on Geonosis. The Force gave me a vision that day. I saw we would meet for the final time, here. So I came here and waited for your arrival."

**On Earth**

Seven Days Ago

Willow ran in to Giles office at the New Watcher's Council. It had been a year since Faith had closed the Sunnydale Hellmouth and how she had activated all the Slayers. "Giles I think I can do it, now. I think I have figured a way to do it."

Giles looked up at Willow from the paperwork on his desk, "You can bring Buffy and Dawn back?"

Willow nods, "I just need to get Angel to send me some of Buffy and Dawn's possessions. Once all that arrives I can open a portal using their stuff as an anchor for the portal. The portal then will shift between the dimensions till it locks on to them."

Now

Giles looks at the assembled group, "The less that go through the better. Willow will have to go to open the portal back. I suggest Faith goes with us. Xander I am leaving you in charge. I know you want to go with us, but I need someone here as we don't know how long it will take for us to get back. Could be hours, days or months. The dream Willow and I shared, in which Buffy and Dawn came to us in. Buffy told us time passed differently there. It had been a little over a half a year for us. For them it had been 3 years. So time where they are moves more quickly. That's why I want you here, Xander. That way if were gone for more than a few days…"

Xander nods, "I get it G-Man."

Giles glares, "Don't call me that. Willow it's time."

Willow nods as she sits in the middle of a circle of candles and begins chanting in latin. There is a flicker of blue that gets stronger in stages. Finally the portal opens. "Ok were good to go."

Giles nods and motions to Faith, "You should go first. We don't know what we will find on the otherside."

Faith nods and jumps in the portal, followed by Giles and then Willow before the portal closes.

Xander looks around the room, "Good Luck."

**On Mustafar**

Faith, Giles and Willow stepped out of the portal. "Wow they really were in a hell dimension. There is a big lake of lava over there." Faith says pointing at the nearby lava flow.

Giles nods as they look around. They spot two women fighting with some kind of weapon. "Is that a laser sword?"

Willow nods, "And that is Buffy, looks like she is fighting Glory."

Faith takes off at a run gripping the sword in her hand she comes to a stop next to Buffy, "Hey B. Start the fight without me? And what are you wearing?" Faith shakes her head as she looks at Buffy's Jedi robes.

Buffy looks to Faith and smiles, "Hey Faith, and yeah - sorry. Want to join in?"

Glory frowns as she looks at the other Slayer, "There are two of you?"

Buffy laughs, "Yep. Time to get pummeled, Glory."

Faith smirks, "This is going to be fun."

Buffy and Faith attack as one. Must like Buffy and Dawn when they fight together. Faith and Buffy complement each other, anticipating the other's moves. They beat Glory back hard. The woman can't seem to gain ground. Buffy finally lands a blow shattering Glory's lightsaber.

Faith swings the sword, decapitating Glory before she even knows what hit her. Faith turns to Buffy as Giles and Willow run up.

Giles hugs Buffy and smiles, "I see you've kept up on your training."

Willow looks at Buffy and shakes her head, "What's with the Michael Jackson impersonation?"

Buffy looks down at her arm and slowly removes the glove showing her mechanical arm.

Giles jaw drops, "Dawn was right in the dream. You did lose your arm."

Buffy nods, "Yes. How did you guys get here?"

Willow smiles and raises her hand, "I cast a spell to open a portal, then using some of your and Dawn's stuff I was able to track down which dimension you were in."

Buffy smiles at Willow, "That some seriously powerful magic your dealing with."

Giles looks around, "Uhm Buffy, where's Dawn?"

Buffy looks at Giles and then she remembers, "Dawn should be back on the ship, I hope."

Buffy takes off on a run as Faith, Giles and Willow follow. The meet Obi-Wan along the way, "Tell me you didn't kill him?"

Obi-Wan shakes his head, "I could have, but I didn't."

Moments later they reach the ship as Threepio comes out, "Master Kenobi, Master Naberrie. I have Mistress Padme and Mistress Dawn are onboard. Please, please hurry. We should leave this dreadful place."

Buffy nods as they all follow her onboard. Obi-Wan takes the control as Buffy sits between her two sisters. Giles looks at Buffy, "Care to tell us what is going on Buffy and why that robot called you Master Naberrie?"

Buffy looked up, "Because that is my name. Has been for nearly 15 years. I haven't gone by Buffy Summers in a long time. Naberrie is Padme's family name. They adopted me about a year after me and Dawn arrived here." She said pointing to Padme.

Giles nods and looks at Dawn, "And Dawn?"

Buffy smiles, "Shortly after we arrived here, we were enslaved. We were separated for a while. Dawn was sold to this flying monkey on Tatooine, where she was adopted by a family there, by the name of Skywalker. She goes by Dawn Skywalker now. Can we talk about this later? I just want to sit here with both of my sisters."

Giles nods as he Faith and Willow go in to the cockpit.


	15. Chapter 15: The End or The Beginning

**Chapter 15: The End or The Beginning**

Revan appears next to Buffy, "It is almost time for you two to return home."

Buffy looks up at Revan, "I figured that."

Revan nods, "But there is something you must do first. Dawn's child must be left behind. She must grow up in this dimension so that she will be of an age to be trained when you and Dawn return."

Buffy looked at Dawn with sympathy and nods.

Revan sighs, "I also want to tell you how Earth came to be in another dimension. It was my doing. After I became one with the force I sent the entire solar system in to a pocket dimension. That dimension will cease to exist in four years' time, shortly after your return. At which time Earth's solar system will shift back in to this dimension. I did that so I could make sure the prophecy that I witnessed would come to pass. If I hadn't you would have been born thousands of years before you were destined to."

Buffy nods as she listens, "I understand."

Revan nods, "I also have a gift for you." He places his hand over her heart. Suddenly Buffy feels at peace. "The Slayer is no more. You will still have your Slayer abilities but the demon is gone, forever."

With that Revan disappears as Dawn wakes up, "Hey Buffy. What did I miss?"

Buffy smiles, "Well Glory is dead. Faith killed her."

Dawn blinks, "Faith?"

Buffy smiles, "Yeah she, Willow and Giles came to get us. That's the good news. The bad news is Anakin is still Darth Vader and Palpatine is still in power. We will have to go in to exile."

Dawn nods.

Buffy sighs, "You will have to leave your daughter here, Dawn."

Dawn blinks, "What?"

Buffy sighs, "Revan came to me before you woke up, Dawn. He said she must stay here so that when we return from exile in four years Earth time she will be of age for you to train."

Dawn frowns, "Me, why not you?"

Buffy smiles, "Because I know who my Padawan will be. I just need to run a midi-chlorian count to confirm it."

Dawn shakes her head, "Who?"

Buffy smiles, "Willow."

Obi-Wan lands the skiff on the landing platform of the isolated post of Polis Massa. Yoda and Bail Organa, along with a few ground crew, are waiting as the ramp lowers and Obi-Wan emerges, carrying the unconscious Padme in his arms. Following not far behind is Giles carrying Dawn. Buffy, Faith, Willow, Artoo, and Threepio follow along behind them.

Bail nods as he looks at the two young women, "We'll take them to the medical center, quickly."

A short time later Giles, Faith, and Willow stand outside an operating theater watching as medical droids delivery Dawn's child. Buffy smiles as the droid hands her the baby. "It's a girl, Dawn."

Dawn smiles and nods, "Aurora Hope Skywalker."

Outside the operating theater Obi-Wan walks up next to Giles, "How is she doing?"

Giles turns to Obi-Wan, "She is fine. Your Obi-Wan right?"

Obi-Wan nods, "Yes. I am."

Giles nods, "Buffy told me she and Dawn consider you a friend. How is Buffy's adopted sister, Padme?"

Obi-Wan looks down not meeting Giles eyes, "She delivered twins before she died."

Giles nods and enters the operating theater and whispers to Buffy who hands him Dawn's daughter before leaving. She sees Obi-Wan, "It's a girl, she's naming her Aurora Hope."

Obi-Wan smiles sadly, "Padme had twins, Luke Anakin and Leia Buffy. She named her daughter after you."

Buffy smiled for a moment, "How's Padme?"

Obi-Wan sighed, "She died not long after giving birth. The medical droids can't explain it. I think she died of a broken heart."

Buffy nods as tears begin to fall, "Can I see her?"

Obi-Wan nods and shows Buffy to the operating theater. He turns and leaves her alone.

Buffy kisses Padme's forehead, "I'm sorry Padme, I failed you."

"Fail her, you did not." Yoda said.

Buffy turns to Yoda, "How didn't I? I promised to protect her."

Yoda nods, "Promise you kept to the best of your ability. This was to be her destiny. Grieve for you must. Miss her you will. Never think it was your fault."

Buffy nods as Willow comes in and embraces Buffy.

The next day….

Bail, Yoda, Buffy, Dawn, and Obi-Wan sit around a conference table. Giles, Faith and Willow sit nearby.

Buffy looks at the assembled group, "First order of business. I would like to recommend Dawn be promoted to Master. And a seat given on the Jedi Council"

Dawn looks at Buffy, "You think I'm ready?"

Buffy nods.

Yoda looks to Obi-Wan who nods, "Agreed it is."

Dawn smiles, "I humbly accept, Masters."

Buffy nods, "Next order of business if Padme."

Yoda nods, "Pregnant, she must still appear. Hidden, safe, the children must be kept."

Obi-Wan nods in agreement, "We must take them somewhere the Sith will not sense their presence."

"Split up, they should be. " Yoda says.

Bail smiles, "My wife and I will take the girl. We've always talked of adopting a baby girl. She will be loved with us."

Obi-Wan nods, "And what of the boy?"

"To Tatooine. To his family, send him." Yoda replies.

Dawn sighs, "Aurora will go with Luke to Tatooine as well."

Giles frowns, "What?"

Buffy smiles at Giles, "It is what has to be done."

Obi-Wan nods, "I will take both children and watch over them. Master Yoda, do you think Anakin's twins and Dawn's child will be able to defeat Darth Sidious?"

Yoda smiles, "Strong the Force runs, in the Skywalker line – both blood and adopted lines. Hope, we can . . . Done, it is. Until the time is right, disappear we will."

Buffy nods, "Next order of business. The Order needs to be reorganized. The old must be forgotten. Attachments should be allowed, especially now when there is so few of us left."

Yoda nods in agreement, "Agreed I am. Think of this in my exile I will."

Bail gets up and leaves.

Buffy nods, "Last order of business. Willow will you come forward please." Willow stands and walks to the table. "Obi-Wan will you take a blood sample and run a midi-chlorian count."

Obi-Wan nods, "If you don't mind?"

Willow shakes her head, "No. But what does this count have to do with anything?"

Obi-Wan took the sample. "Midi-Chlorian's are how we feel the Force. If I am not mistaken Buffy wants to take you as her Padawan learner."

Buffy laughs and nods, "That I do."

Obi-Wan nods as he runs the scan, "Wow. Her count is as high as yours Master Yoda."

Buffy nods, "As I expected. It explains why you're a powerful witch. I will train you so that you can become a powerful Jedi."

Willow, Faith, and Giles leave.

Yoda nods, "Master Kenobi, Master Naberrie, and Master Skywalker wait a moment. In your solitude on Tatooine and exile on Earth, training I have for the three of you."

Buffy blinks, "Training?"

Yoda nods, "An old friend has learned the path to immortality."

Obi-Wan looks to Buffy and Dawn who shrug, "Who?"

Yoda nods, "One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force to train me . . . your old Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. It was he who allowed me to commune with Revan."

"Qui-Gon? Revan? But, how could they accomplish this?" Obi-Wan said.

Buffy shrugged, "Don't know. But I have seen Revan. At first it was only in my and Dawn's dreams."

Yoda nods, "The secret of the Ancient Order of the Whills, he studied. How to commune with them. I will teach you."

Obi-Wan nods, "I will be able to talk with him?"

"How to join the Force, he will train you. Your consciousness you will retain, when one with the Force. Even your physical self, perhaps." Yoda said.

Obi-Wan nods and leaves. "I and Dawn will go with Obi-Wan to Tatooine to deliver the babies. Then Dawn and I will take Padme home. From there we will go in to exile."

Yoda nods, "You wish to attend the funeral for your sister."

Buffy nods, "I owe her so much, Master Yoda. It is the least I can do."

Yoda nods, "Then go you will. See you again I may not. Wish you luck in your journey I do. It has been my privilege to know the two of you."

Dawn nods and leaves. Buffy smiles, "As it was my privilege to be your Padawan. I will follow your example, my master. I will train Willow as you trained me."

Yoda smiles, "Of that I have no doubt."

Buffy turns and leaves.

A few days later. A starship lands next to the Lars homestead. Buffy, Dawn and Obi-Wan walk out and up to Owen and Beru Lars.

Owen smiles, "Hello, sister. It has been awhile."

Dawn smiles and hands Aurora to Beru, "Her name is Aurora, Aurora Hope Skywalker. Buffy and I have to leave for a while, where were going she can't come. I want you to take care of her for me."

Owen nods, "I will."

Obi-Wan hands Luke to Owen, "This is Anakin's son, Luke. Anakin and Padme are gone. It was Padme's wish that you two would watch over Luke."

Owen nods as he looks down at Luke, "We will watch over them both."

Obi-Wan nods, "Do you have a speeder you don't mind losing?"

Owen nods, "Father's speeder is in the garage. Since he passed away he won't be needing it. You can have it."

Obi-Wan nods, "Then this is goodbye. Buffy, Dawn the two of you have come to be my friends. The next time we see each other I will be 20 years older. Good luck in your exile."

Buffy nods and hugs Obi-Wan, "May the Force be With You, always."

Dawn hugs Obi-Wan before she and Buffy board the starship and launch heading for Naboo.

A few days later….

Huge solemn crowds line Palace Plaza in Theed, the capital of Naboo, as six beautiful white gualaars draw a flower-draped open casket bearing the remains of a beloved Senator through the Triumphal Arch, her fingers finally and forever clasping a snippet of japor, one that had been carved long ago by the hand of a nine-year-old boy from an obscure desert planet in the far Outer Rim . . .

Buffy stood beside the Naberrie family, her adopted family, and smiled sadly. After the funeral she smiled at her adopted parents, "Mom… Dad, Dawn and I have to go. I wish I didn't. I'm afraid I won't see you again. Know that I love you and will think of you often."

Her adopted parents nodded and hugged Buffy. Buffy left with Dawn and walked a short distance to where Giles, Willow and Faith stood.

Giles put a reassuring hand on Buffy's shoulder, "Ready to go?"

Buffy looks down, "Not really. But it is time, anyways."

Willow nods as she chants, opening the portal to Earth and home.


End file.
